Follow the Wolves
by magicalmal
Summary: A depressed college grad flees her troubled past to Washington, only to question her life and everything she believes. Story of self-discovery, finding true love, and what it means to have a home. Embry Call/OC, follows BD, not your average imprint story.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

I couldn't help it. I had to run, I had to get away, from the problems, the past, just everything. It was the only way I knew how to deal. It was how my family and I spent the last fourteen years, but they were running for different reasons than I was.

Back then they were just trying to survive the economy and stay above the bills. It's different now; now I am on my own and have to learn to deal with my problems by myself. So I packed up and left my home, my friends and family, and my problems.

But maybe I was running away for the very same reason my parents were; I was surviving.

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This was just to give you guys a little insight about Marlana. First Chapter will be posted really soon! And beware ... this will be a very long story!

If your curious, this story was inspired by my favorite song: Follow the Wolves by Demon Hunter. Ironic, I know, but if you ever listen to it, it's a great song that suits Marlana very well.

Happy Halloween!


	2. The Long Road Home

_Chapter 1. The Long Road Home_

I found myself aimlessly wondering around downtown Seattle, shuffling along a random street. Passing by everyday strangers with all the dull, lifeless buildings crowded around me. Blinded momentarily by the eastern sun beaming against the large luminous glass windows of the little stores set along Elliot Bay. I didn't turn away from the glare or adjust my hair to shield me away. I just simply ignored it. Like so many other things. I drowned out the loud mess of noise with each hasty car driving by and the obnoxious conversations that faded in and out. I just stopped listening to it as it all blended into one loud buzz, softly humming in my ears, knocking everything else out.

After looking at nothing but the road ahead, I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to look around. To make a small effort at taking a glance outside of my head. So I followed my instincts and looked towards the buildings over my left shoulder, across the street.

And there it was.

A little spark went flying down my spine then, causing my hairs to stand up. I was literally shocked with my feet grounded to its place. My astonished eyes locked onto the large mural across the street. A mural of a gray wolf.

What were the chances?

Maybe if I blinked it would disappear. Turn into just a figment of my imagination and would be able to continue on my way.

But I couldn't bring myself to blink. Or do anything at all, for that matter. It all felt to ... I don't know. It was just to surreal, wrong, unnatural. My ears ached from hearing nothing but the rapid rate of my heart and the rough breaths that escaped my swollen throat. Voices, cars, music, rippling water, cruise ship horns; they all seemed to freeze and fade away from my conscience. With only one thing holding my attention...

_BBBBEEEEEPPPPPP!!!!!_

I frantically looked around, snapping out of my daze, searching for the source of the extremely loud horn. Only to find my subconscious body stepping inches from the front end of a white taxi cab.

I instantly backed up from the bustling street to let the taxi pass by me. Not paying attention to any of the profanities coming from the Chinese taxi driver. My vision was already focusing on the—still existing—wolf painting across the street.

This time I carefully looked down the narrow streets and waited till it was clear to make my way across.

When I hopped onto the other side I went straight to the painting and reached my hand out towards it. As if something would come from that touch and tell me what it meant.

But nothing came from it, as expected. Only the hard, brittle bricks of the building in which it was painted on lay under my fingertips.

I made one last look over the lightly saturated fur with large ink spots and those knowledgeable brown eyes gazing back at me. I stepped back into reality with a heavy sigh and dropped my hand from the familiar gray wolf.

Wow. I could only imagine what people were seeing. Some drugged-up crazy person petting a painted wolf on the side of the street. But I didn't care about what these strangers thought and how it looked. There has been worse, a lot worse.

An idea suddenly struck me. I reached into my nearly empty bag to retrieve my camera that never left my side. Adjusting the aperture and shutter speed to the appropriate setting. I focused the lens and pushed my index finger to the small button until a little click emerged.

With all the faint dreams and bizarre situations, such as this one, it still didn't make any sense. There were so many other times where I would stumble upon this wolf, mostly when I least expected it. It was almost as if it was following me. Watching me as I moved endlessly around, making sure I was still within reach.

I halted those thoughts because of how crazy they started to sound. Then made my way back across the street to the bus stop, turning my back on the mural. But as I made it back to the sidewalk I turned around on last time.

I felt the tiniest of tugs inside me, willing me to go back to it. To find some kind of explanation. But instead I turned away again, towards the crowding Metro bus, forcing myself to not look at the streets signs. I didn't need to come back to it. It was nothing more than a coincidence. But I still needed a little reassurance that I wasn't going insane.

So I made my way to a vacant pole, seeing as all the seats were already full. Then I turned my attention back to the little screen in front of me.

As I tucked the camera back in my bag I remembered how my dreams where always so distant and blurred when they came to that wolf. But ever sense I made my way into Seattle from Wyoming I noticed something. I noticed that the dreams were becoming incredibly clear, more focused. A lot like the perfectly sharp photograph of the wolf painting that was blocks behind me now. Meaningless to ever single person that passed by it, nothing more than a beautiful mural of a lone wolf stranded in Seattle.

But I couldn't deny the fact that something was happening. And I couldn't quite place what exactly it was. All I knew was that my life was making a change. I could just feel it. Whither it was for better or for worse, I didn't know that either. But I was confused with what was going on with my life right now. Why I had brought myself here, away from family and friends, to find something. Anything.

But maybe it will become more clearer some time from now. It seemed that after each move my family and I made, it always got worse before it got better. I guess I would just have to stick with that and continue on.

Once I left Gillette, Wyoming after _finally_ finishing high school I maneuvered towards college life in Powell, Wyoming. With just my digital camera, clothes, and dirt bike packed into my large Chevy truck, I took off. I arrived with no stings attached, no regrets, nothing at all. This was where my life would finally become something worth living!

But with only two years of finally becoming a normal human being with the parties, drinking, and stupid pitiless mistakes. I had had enough. But I fell somewhere along the way.

I fell in love. Again. But this time is wasn't the sweet bliss of first love. It was my second and it wasn't pretty. He dragged me down without me even noticing. Then left me behind to clean up the mess of it all. I never thought it could happen to me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could get sucked in.

But I did and could never get a hold of myself again. I was long gone, fleeing Powell with a degree in Photography and winding up here. Lost within these large city walls, in this crowded bus full of strangers. Strangers roaming these lonely streets of King County that led to nowhere. Leading us on an endless journey of nowhere.

Nowhere. Yes, that's exactly what I was doing here, going absolutely freaking nowhere. But I was still falling. And falling fast. At least, that's what it felt like. An out of control spinning sensation that sucked me in even further. And I wasn't exaggerating, either.

It wasn't the normal my-life-sucks kind of feeling. The moping around, wondering when life will pick up kind of thing. No, I've been there before—too many times—and that was nothing. This was more like a heavy burden. A black nothingness pressing against my shoulders and neck. Leaving me constantly hunched over, my face forced to the ground I walk on. It sank into my knees, boring down on my stone feet to shuffle along an empty path. The shadowed lids of my eyes even held the weight of my loneliness.

When I was talking with someone I couldn't even bring myself to look them in the eyes. Not even a glance to see if their pitiful expression would pierce me again, by seeing how emotional obvious I was. It was just too much pressure to bear and I was just too damn tired. So painfully tired.

_Shit_. My stop.

I violently jerked out of my solid stance of dark wondering. Causing my ipod to jump from my hands and fly onto the floor while popping the headphones from my head. Hearing the snap of the small device hit the floor slightly brought me back down to earth.

A heavy sigh escaped my dry lips before I finally bent down to retrieve my ipod. I shoved the ipod into my bag, not even bothering to attempt to listen to the heavy music. No matter how loud and intense the music was, it still couldn't reach past my quandary. I was so absorbed inside my thoughts that the world was rushing by without grasping me at all. And it was useless trying to escape this dark hole I had dug for myself. Something will eventually come along and pull me out. Just like every other time I found myself lost in this dreary abyss. I just needed to keep it together for a little while longer.

With another exasperated sigh, I stood up from the stiff, blue seats of the nearly vacated Metro bus to pull the rubbery bell cord from behind me. Instantly hearing the excruciatingly loud ring it made pound against my eardrums. Within a couple of minutes I was off the bus, barely registering the bus pushing off down S. 212th street. I looked past the bland flashes of cars, noticing the familiar Starbucks across the street, immediately knowing where I stood. There was only a few blocks to be traveled before I found my place of refuge—my newest settlement.

I numbly laughed at myself for thinking of the word "settlement" as a term for this newly found residence. But there was just no other way to describe it. After moving across the western states—city to city, state to state—for almost fourteen years, I started to lose track of what exactly having a home meant.

Was it in Murrieta, California, where I spent the first six years of my life? Where my parent's deeply buried a past that now lays hidden. Along with my nearly forgotten childhood that remains tucked safely away in the darkest corner of my mind, never to be brought up again.

Perhaps in Sparks, Nevada I found a home. With all the bullies and torment I endured my first year of high school, plus the confusing anguish I felt toward my father's rapid alcohol addiction. I think not. That point in my life was the lowest road I ever traveled down out of all my high school years. I was only fourteen years old and somehow wound up in a tight black hole that took a year to finally get out of. Then shortly after, I was abruptly thrown in the world of back-stabbing bitches and unpleasantly learned where my loyalties lie. Yeah, it definitely wasn't a homely time to me. Remembering it even now, so many years later, still brings a hollow ache to my heart. It was the first time I cried, the first time I buried myself inside.

Maybe Gillette, Wyoming was my real home. The place where I truly grew up, where I matured into an adult. There I thrived in the Arts, I turned my loneliness into an independent streak, and I washed down my grudges, and learned to accept things as they were. But I also fell in love, a beautiful moment in my life that I couldn't ever let go of, yet I still couldn't quite grasp it either. After just a few short months together we went our separate ways, searching for something, neither of us knowing exactly what that was. It wasn't a painful process, nor heartbreaking, it was just hard to realize that we were not going to be together forever. But that it was just something that challenged ourselves to the different kinds of love than what we were both used to. And we succeeded in loving each other, with all the late nights spent talking about our theories on life. And all the gentle caresses and sweet kisses kept hidden from the outside world. Never going far enough into the bliss of those moments to keep us permanently tied to each other. I was always the one that pulled away with the little ring of doubt going off inside my head. Losing my virginity was something that shouldn't hold any insecurities, none at all. And that little shiver of doubt I always felt was something else that said we weren't everlasting. It was just another theory to life I had and I shared this thought with him one day. Which resulted in other little hints of detachment. We both saw what was to come and finally bid ours farewells to each other. Looking back with no regrets at all.

But, walking down this fretful street now, with the unusually bright sun setting in front of me, I felt rueful towards my past.

I couldn't help but look back and wonder what life would have been like if I didn't choose the paths I did. I always asked the same questions. What if I never came back up from that water and instead let the quiet blackness completely take me? What if I decided to blind myself from the truth, feeling what it would be like to back-stab a friend? What if I never had the chance to fall into something so amazing and gracious as falling in love? What if I did and decided to never let it go? Would I have saved myself from the burning pain that stabbed into my chest now? The twisting fire in my stomach that left me endlessly sickened. An eternity of darkness that covered me as the revolting flames viscously slapped me around, sending waves of pressure into me, continually knocking me down with every chance it had.

Daniel did this to me.

It wasn't my family or my so-called friends, or even myself. It was _him_ who threw me out to the sharks to fend for myself. To leave me lost inside this clamored city while I had to walk around with his filthy habit burned into my flesh as a constant reminder of what he did.

I caressed the tiny scar on the far side of my left cheek, as the memory of that night crawled it's way into my mind. But instantly flinched back my hand and picked up my pace, trying to refocus on my destination.

_Forget it. Forget it. Forget it._

I slowly chanted to myself, attempting to keep my mind blank. And as I finally started to calm down I started to concentrate on all the noises around me. The soothing swoosh of the cars driving by. With the occasional nonrhythmic beat of blaring Rap music and feeling a heavy gust blow past me as a semi-truck passed. There was also the light sound of leaves dancing with each other in a slow breeze along with distant wind chimes. Silent squeaking coming from the heels of my ancient Converses as I walked.

Taking a deep breath, I turned down the sidewalk and into the KOA Campground where I now resided. Automatically spotting my over sized white Chevy truck parked next the same old dually, just like any other day. I fumbled for my keys, impatiently awaiting the relief of being inside, away from everyone else. Even though I didn't consider this a home, it was still the closest thing I had to one.

A sense of ease washed through me as I finally stepped inside my trailer. As I took off my jacket the trailer started to rock slightly. Looking around the corner to my right, past the bathroom and into the small bedroom, I noticed Lovella scrambling to her feet.

"Hey, Love." I greeted her as she came running up to me, her small nails clanking against the fake tile floor. "How's my girl?"

I bent down to wrap my arms around her petite body and breathed in her stale scent. I brushed my hands up and down her back, feeling her soft spotted fur run through my hands. When she started to squirm from my grasp I let go of her. I then looked into her intelligent caramel eyes seeing where my comfort came from.

Lovella was an unusual border collie with large black spots that were splattered along her long, white fur. She also was smaller than the average border collie, but was the perfect size for all the traveling I did. She might of been different looking from normal collies but she still had that wise light in her eyes that I've seen in so many other collies. Sometimes I thought she really understood what was going on. Like she could feel the mood I was in with just the cock of her head or how she would whine at me when I stared off into space. Instantly snapping me out of it.

Lovella was also a lot like me in a way. We both were unique—unlike anybody else—and we both were quiet and reserved. The only time she ever barked was when a guy approached her. I believe she was abused by someone that she loved and then was kicked to the curb.

Just like me.

Okay, so there is the first chapter, it was more of just an intro to Malana, but next chapter you'll have more of a visual.

But I hope everyone likes it. This is my first fanfic so I am still learning. If you guys have any questions or comments feel free.

And, just a warning, I am a slow writer. I don't want to throw something out there and get it over with. But I promise it will be good, at least to my standards, which are pretty high. I'm picky when it comes to FanFiction. So don't freak if I don't have a chapter up for a couple weeks, I haven't forgotten!

Song: Fading Away - Demon Hunter

Happy Halloween!


	3. Close, But Not Close Enough

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Saga!

Okay, So I now have TONS of pictures on my profile with Malana, Lovella, etc. I also have a Fun Fact, Banners, and songs for the chapters. So go check those out! After you read & review of course, it's greatly appreciated!

So, Thanks to my first two reviewers **DancinAlways416** & **Living Masquerade**!!! Have fun reading ...

_

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Chapter 2. Close, But Not Close Enough_

_Tragedy blows through your life like a tornado, uprooting everything, creating chaos. You wait for the dust to settle, and then you choose. You can live in the wreckage and pretend it's still the mansion you remember. Or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild. Because after disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on._

-Something I found on Janine42584 LiveJournal

I sat on the ground of my tiny shower, facing away from the scorching water. My face pressing against the bottom of my thick thighs near my knees while my arms crushed them to my chest. Trying to squeeze my large body into a tight ball. Doing nothing but watching the hair on my arms catch water droplets and once in a while pushing away yesterday's makeup from my tired eyes.

It was around 5 o'clock in the morning and still pitch black outside. So instead of turning on the light I suppressed myself in the darkness. Hiding away from the restless night that brought me in here in the first place.

My eyes had already adjusted to the dark and I could see the steam rolling around me along with the blurred shape of a towel hanging outside the Plexiglas door. So I closed my eyes, not wanting to see anything, knowing I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

After a few moments of empty thoughts the shower went cold. But I didn't move or even open my eyes. The sudden change in temperature was somehow soothing to me. It felt familiar in a way; going from one extreme to another. I started pulling out thoughts of my first love and Daniel. Of my once inseparable brother who I haven't talked to since my departure, of my mother that gave me everything, that I now left brokenhearted. And how I went from the tiny town of Powell with tons of friends to sitting inside a freezing shower somewhere in Seattle, with only a dog to call a friend.

It felt like I was back in high school, back to being the school loner. Eating lunches inside my truck by myself, or with another school loner, too annoying to call a friend. Back to being the quiet one that everyone shied away from or the girl who was only talked to during classes, never even looked at outside those walls. I was invisible then, until college came along. But after that little charade, I decided being by myself in a foreign city is what I liked best. What I knew was best.

The sun started to come up then, sending yellow light across the dull white bathroom from the sunroof above my head. I watched it give a new color to my unusually paled skin, highlighting the little scar on my knee and the slightly burned skin on my right arm. I lifted one of my hands to the foggy walls, watching the moisture disappear as I gently swiped my fingertips down it. I remembered how I used to write my crushes' names into the moisture when I was younger. Only to watch the name reappear the next morning when I took another shower. So, for old times sakes, I traced "MALANA" into the wall with my sloppy cursive. With the bright sun enhancing it, a lazy smirk was placed on my lips.

The sun started to bring a new ease to me, even as the now uncomfortable water ran down my spine and through my long matted hair. The warmth it created inside me was strangely comforting. In any normal day I would of ignored the sensation and sink myself back into the gloomy darkness. But right now, I think I needed it. So I closed my eyes again, relaxing away from my stiff posture and turning around to settle my back into the smooth plastic. Stretching my legs out in front of me as far as the small space would allow. And letting my arms fall across my shapely stomach were the cold water now ran.

I wasn't sure to take this newly found serenity as a good turning point. Or if I should stop questioning it and continue to let my body play tricks on my mind. Either way, I was just going to let it be. Like I used to do with every other little thing that crossed my path.

I could feel a small smile play on my lips again from the thought of regaining some of my old self. The easy-going part of me that I locked away when I left Wyoming. I opened my eyes, realizing how much I wanted that back. How much I wanted the old me; the witty, smart, brave person I used to be before leaving it all behind.

This isn't who I am. I didn't drown myself in pity and sit in a cold shower for hours at a time. I didn't believe that life was meaningless or that every little thing that grabbed our attention was just a coincidence. I used to believe in a lot. I once believed that everything happens for a reason. That every bad thing in our lives added to something greater, better. I used to have faith in myself and the paths I chose. But I wasn't so sure. Now, anyways. Maybe down the road I will believe in something again. Have a little faith one day.

_Maybe._

I wiped the silent tears from my eyes and with a long sigh, picked myself up from the slick shower. Being careful not to slip after I turned off the icy water and stepped out of my tiny shower. I didn't grab the towel or go to get some clean clothes. I just stood in front of the long mirror from the back of the door and observed my nearly dry naked form. Wondering if I still looked like the old me, even though I wasn't anymore.

And, I did look different. My gorgeous green eyes I inherited from my grandfather had somehow lost their spark. They had a yellow center, circling around the pupils, that turned the forest green lighter. But now, without that spark in them, the yellow had almost completely vanished. And my once nicely tanned skin I received over the summer was nonexistent. My skin was now a dull color, almost colorless. Making the little tattoos on my hips and collarbone stand out even more. My dirty blond hair seemed to even have lost it's shine which made the opaque brown underneath it almost blend in. But the things that appeared to stay the same was my tall height, standing at 5'9". And my high-cheekbones that created my round baby-like face and made me look sixteen instead of twenty. Along with all the other incredibly soft curves that made up my toned stomach and long, well-defined legs. I still felt a little pride while I looked at my body. Because I had always been fat, ever since I was little. But when I started to race motocross in my Sophomore year I quickly slimmed down and developed a size 14 by the time I was a Senior.

People always told me how beautiful I was, even when I was at my limit of 200 pounds. And I knew it too and it still shocked me every now and then. I think that could of been the main reason why people ignored me. Nobody wanted to be friends with a fat girl that was more pretty than them. But I saw other pretty girls that were on the bigger side that were with the "in" crowd. So maybe it was just my down to earth personality that didn't fit into their stereotypical world, not my looks. No, my looks caused me to not fit in with the rejects or geeks. I was to casual, even with the piercings and dark makeup and the intimidating attitude I took upon.

I touched the two bumpy holes on my right eyebrow where, just a couple weeks ago, I had my eyebrow piercing. I got it on my eighteenth birthday, only because I wanted it. Not because it was a cool thing to do, but I did it for myself, because _I_ liked it. And I always had until those couple weeks ago I remembered Daniel once telling me how he thought it was sexy. I decided I hated it and threw into an empty basket just a few minutes later. But after thinking how much I wanted it for just me, before I ever met Daniel, I stepped away from my reflection and turned towards that basket.

After digging the piercing out of a knotted necklace, I positioned it over the opening and with a deep breath pressed it down. Hard.

_Well, that freaking hurt._

I knew it must have been closed just a little, but_ damn_! I looked up in the mirror again, wincing when I moved my eyebrow, and noticed the blood gathering around it. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in and massaged my temples, trying to relieve some of the strain in my right eye.

Knock ... knock ... knock!

I jumped about a foot in the air when someone knocked on my door. Causing me to flinch horribly and bring what little pain was released back into my eyebrow. I tried slowing down my heartbeat and considered not answering until I heard Mr. Travis speak.

"Ms. Rowley, are you awake?" The severely old campsite supervisor said in a grave voice, while knocking again. "I am here to collect last months rent you promised this week."

Oh. I figured he came to complain about the running water. He complains about _every_thing. Just last week he came shuffling up my front porch during quiet hours to tell me my truck was too loud. I _just_ came back from teaching a late lesson at the Art Wolfe Digital Photography Center. And he fines me fifty dollars for being too loud after ten o'clock at night. After that I have had a very short temper with the wretched old fart.

So, deciding to just get it over with, I stepped out of the bathroom and into the dinky hallway. Right before I rounded the corner to answer the door I caught a glance of myself in the kitchen mirrors. I froze instantly, realizing I was still naked.

"One moment Mr. Travis." I called out to him before stepping back into the bathroom and grabbing the towel to wrap around myself. That would be good enough, considering what I was about to do. The guy is probably half blind anyways. And it would probably be good for the old man to see a little skin though. I could already see the look on his wrinkled face if I were to answer the door in complete nude.

I answered the door with a tiny smile on my face from my previous thoughts.

"Hi, Mr. Travis. What can I do for you?" I asked dumbly, pretending to be oblivious to the gaze he set upon my bare legs.

"Um, well, uh." He barely spoke, still openly staring.

I let out a huge breath of air, trying to casually get his attention. Which worked.

"Yes, right. As I was saying." He shook his head like a dog and coughed before staring up at my forehead and continuing. "Well, you are officially one month behind on your payment. And, if you do not pay it right now, you will be asked to leave this property."

Wow, he was quite dramatic.

"Okay, let me go get my checkbook." I replied after rolling my eyes when I turned my back on him.

"Um, um. Miss?" I turned back around when he spoke, thinking he was about to lay some godforsaken fine on me again.

"Yes."

"Well, its just that ... your eye is bleeding."

I reached my hand up to my eyebrow and, no doubt, it was bleeding. I could now feel the tiny trail it led down past my eye and wiped it away quickly with the back of my hand.

"Thanks." I murmured as I turned back to wash my hand and retrieve my checks.

I gazed at my checkbook, thinking of how low my bank account had gotten since moving. My parents had paid for all my room and board throughout college, so I never worried about it before. They still send me monthly checks. But I could never bring myself to cash them in, or to even rip them up. I knew this time would come. The time when I would lean on my parents for money, instead of keeping up with it myself.

I was pathetic. Still running towards mommy and daddy to help me survive this harsh place I chose all by myself. But, I tried not to. I worked part-time at The Picture People studio as a sales associate. I only made nine dollars an hour. Which was just enough to pay for the seven-hundred dollar monthly fee at the campground. Being barely able to skim by with the water and electric bill. Plus all the gas my truck takes when I had to drive to the classes I taught. When I have my college classes at Argosy University I just take the bus, which doesn't cost much. But it can add up.

I looked up at the cabinet above my head, where the checks lay underneath dishes and coffee cups. I knew I would have to cash in those checks today after class. I would finally cave into letting my parents help.

So, I filled out the check and handed it to Mr. Travis. Who gave a half-hearted thank you and went on his way. Reminding me that he would be back in a couple days to collect another payment. After that, I collapsed into the rolling chair at the desk behind me with a deep sigh. Then turned to look at my dirt bike that sat across from me.

I gazed at my big Honda longingly. A powerful urge suddenly washing over me, I wanted to ride all of a sudden. I wanted to feel that freedom again, have that powerful engine race beneath my body. I haven't touched my motorcycle since last April, the last month I spent in Wyoming before moving here. I never took any notice of how much I missed racing until now. Remembering all the times I crashed, all the times I won, beating out all the boys. My sight turned from my dirt bike and to the bedroom at the end of the hall. Underneath the bed lie a big brown box with what little trinkets and trophies I had collected over the years. I had letters from Northwest, planners dating back to seventh grade, all my photo albums, and so much more.

I had forgotten the little things in my life that I had once cherished so much. Except, of course, Lovella. Who finally woke up and began to paw at her empty dish to remind me that it was breakfast time.

After breakfast I threw on my jogging shorts, leaving my stomach bare with only a sports bra. I always jogged in this attire, not caring about all the looks and cat calls I received. I worked my ass off for this body, so I wasn't going to hide it. It was still amazing, with how tired I constantly was, that I still had the energy to go out and jog around the block a couple times. Having Lovella at my side was probably the main part of it. She was so well behaved that I never had to put her on a lease too, she always stayed by me.

Later that day I stood behind the counter of The Picture People in the Southcenter mall. It was a half hour past seven on a busy Sunday evening with all the Senior photos and baby pictures finally finished. I was just counting the profits from the day and sealing them into a bank bag when Lauren approached me.

"Hey, Malana?" She asked while pushing her thick rimmed glasses up her nose again. Like she did every other minute; it was actually quite annoying.

"Yeah?" I breathed out through a yawn.

"Just wondering..." She hesitated, which caused me to stand up from the desk and maneuver towards her. Picking up my jacket and bag along the way. "Have you ever thought about doing something else?"

"Like what?" I questioned, not sure where this conversation was heading. The word "FIRED" kept crossing my mind. Which I don't know why she would, unless I had offended her in someway by doing a little more than the job position required. On busy times like these I always was setting up her camera, fixing the lighting, and even helping with photoshoping photographs.

"Like actually picking up a real photography job. Not just working behind a counter twenty-four-seven!" She snapped suddenly. I was completely lost. "I have actually red your resume, you know. All your art teachers throughout high school had very high recommendations of you. All your work in your portfolio is absolutely incredible. And you freaking graduated from a top photo college with honors and a full-ride scholarship! And not to mention, I have seen how hard of a worker you are when it comes to stuff like this. I have learned more from you in four months then I have from any of my college professors." She ended her little rant by taking a deep breath, shaking her short, red curls from side to side, and shifting her glasses again.

Yep. I was totally dumb-founded. Speechless. And the look on my face must have been too because when she glanced up at me she continued. Much calmer this time though.

"Look. What I am trying to say is that ... you have got a wonderful talent. Something I could only ever dream about. And your just wasting it away by being here." She stopped again with a loud sigh and then went to the computer.

I relaxed a little when she moved. Still thoroughly confused of course.

"You're in school now aren't you? Getting a teaching degree or something. Right?" She proceeded.

"Um, yeah. My Master's in Instructional Leadership." I wondered what she was getting at, again. I was still confused from her first subject. "But what exactly does that have--"

She cut me off abruptly with a flick of her hand, not paying much attention to what I was saying. She was too busy connecting to the Internet. Cursing under her breath when it was going to slow.

I waited in silence as she poked at keys and grunted occasionally. After about two minutes in complete silence, I got impatient and started walking to the front door.

"Here. Wait a second, would yah? I've got something to show you." She asked, this time clicking one last key and swiveling around to the printer.

I stopped and waited. Thinking that she must have split personalities or something. She was constantly changing moods and doing weird things. But I did good with weird, it was something I could relate to. Maybe that's why I took this job. She was the only one to hire me on the stop and then told me to get started by answering the phone.

She walked away from the printer and handed me a piece of paper. But before I had the chance to read it she started talking again.

"I just got this email a couple days ago. It's a teaching position for an Indian school down in La Push."

"Where's that?" I interrupted automatically.

"It's a little Indian Reservation outside of Forks. It's as small as hell. Well, anyways, I know the art teacher down at Forks High. She mailed this over for me to show around. I guess they haven't had anybody interested since nobody wants to teach at a school with only seventy kids."

"Seventy? That's it? Well, thanks anyways, but I am only in my second semester. So I don't think they'd hire me anyways."

"Sure they would. The second I got this email, you popped into my head. So, I mailed her back asking about that and she said that some of their staff is still in school too. So, it would be a perfect opportunity for you. And, anyways, it's just for an art teacher, it's not like your teaching English and all that crap. You'd be good at it. So, what do you say?"

"Well, I don't know. I mean, that's a pretty big step up from what I've been doing and--"

"Oh, please. La Push. It'll be a walk in the park. There are only three classes; elementary, middle, and high school. Easy. You just have to do it. They have never had an art class before—only a craft class—so this new. Forks has always had one and I guess it's been quite popular. So the Quileute's are going to try it out. I am telling you, it would be perfect." She finished and went to stand outside the door to lock up. So, I followed, walking through the nearly deserted mall and out the large glass doors. Only to be greeted by the rushing highways and Lauren lighting up a smoke.

"I'll think about it Lauren. Really. I am just not so sure if this is the best time. I mean, I just got settled in and am still getting the hang of things." I just dropped it there, not sure what I was trying to say to her.

"Malana, it's obvious you're not happy here. And I don't know why in the hell you came to Seattle to settle down. But my guess is that you are depressed and needed some kind of escape. And, honey? I hate to be the one to tell you this but ... Seattle isn't a good place to be. Not for someone like you. You could do a lot of good for a small town like La Push."

I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but I nodded anyways. At least to show her I was listening. But she was walking away from me now, towards her Honda civic and taking a long drag of her Marlboro.

"Oh, and Malana?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't only want you take that job just because nobody else wants it. It's because they don't have much over there to offer to the kids. The drop out rated has increased these past couple years and I really think this could open up a lot of opportunities for them, especially with you. You can show them something new, something interesting. Not to mention, this could also help you too. Being in a small town, away from all this noise and all these rude people. It could help a lot, clear your mind. Hell, you might even like it. And, like I said, it's a great opportunity."

And, with that, she continued to walk to her car, start it, then leave me standing there, staring at the spot she just drove from. I was still so confused, but I could at least understand what she was trying to tell me.

I stood there for a few more seconds, breathing in the cold air, before I walked to my truck. And when I got in, I unfolded the crumpled paper in my hand and started reading the short letter. Imagining myself inside a small classroom, surrounded by dark skinned children, somewhere inside little La Push, Washington.

I suddenly had a glowing warmth pound inside my heart. Causing it to beat excitedly. And for some odd reason, I felt like smiling. Not just smiling, but grinning. So I broke out in a full face grin, for no reason at all. Then I had to say the name out loud.

"La Push." I carefully whispered, as if it carried a secret for me. That would be nice. Hiding away inside a little town on the coast, teaching art to children who have never had the opportunity to learn before.

I sighed, thinking about what what Lauren had just told me. I knew I wasn't happy. But would moving to a dinky ass town really help. I think the main reason I'm not happy is because I am lonely, even in this large city. But I guess I can't say that living in a small town will just add to it. I know all to well that the smaller towns are more friendly, more homely. But do I really want to go back to a town like the one I am escaping? I don't know.

When I finally started my truck and moved along the streets of Tukwila, I realized how strange this whole day had been. First, with the unusual dream that only left flashes of light in my memory when I woke up covered in sweat. Having the sun affect me in a way it never has before, then me deciding to take back things I had once given up just because of Daniel, and the longing for motocross seeping back into my soul. Yes, today was truly a bizarre day, I have never in these past few months felt so ... alive. I haven't felt much of anything until today. Especially having Lauren burst at me just because I was working for her and her thinking me being here a waste of time.

And the more I started to think about it, the more I realized how right she was. I _was_ wasting my time. Watching myself travel around in circles, just like everybody else. But I wasn't like everybody else, I never had been. When I was stuck in these dreary places I never would mope around, like I am doing right now. I always took extreme measures, wither it'd be me hopping in my truck and doing brodies in the neighborhood or being suspended for three days in my senior year for fighting a bunch a boys. Or, like I did back in April, fleeing to another state, hiding myself in thousands of other faces. But ever since I got to that place, I never really found what I was looking for. Even though I could almost taste the possibilities of how close I was to it.

I caught my breath and tried to relax. It had been a long day and I needed to sleep on the options that lie before me. So, I turned on the radio, trying to distract my mind. I recognized the old Fleetwood Mac playing and turned it to the next station, sick of the same old songs. And there was a piano playing, it was familiar somehow. Instantly knowing I was on a rap station when I heard the hard strum of guitar chords join the piano. Hearing the only rap song I ever liked. I could already hear the lyrics playing in my head, before he even starts singing.

_His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy..._

_Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity..._

_You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow..._

_Lonely roads, God only knows..._

_No more games, I'ma change what you call rage..._

_Has gotten me to the point, I'm like a snail..._

_Feet fail me not cause maybe the only opportunity that I got..._

The only reason I ever liked that song was because it was like reading a short story. And I used to be a heavy reader; reading Billie Letts, Sarah Dessen, Sue Monk Kidd, even Jane Austen. I remember my Senior English teacher once referring to me as a brain reader, someone who reads books with real meanings and that have a big Author's Bias. And it's why I was so attracted to that rap song, it had a big message, letting people know it's okay to dream and believe in the impossible. You could also feel his distraught, his triumphs—just like in any other book I have every red.

Some hip-hop, sex-crazed song came on then, and so I switched the station again, hearing a new Nickelback song playing. So, I left it there, pulling into my usual parking space at the campground. It was a little past eight when I checked the clock inside my trailer. And after waking up at five o'clock, I decided it was late enough for bed.

Not bothering to change into pajamas, I slid my jeans off and let my bra fall from my shoulders. Once I was settled in, I could already feel the drowsiness settling in my heavy eyes and limp body. And it eventually overtook me, taking images of the sun, of Lovella pawing at her bowl, of tons of blurred faces. Lauren shaking her red hair ... dark-skinned children sitting in a classroom ... a rainy road shadowed by a forest ... a gray wolf standing on the outskirts ...

I didn't notice when my thoughts turned into a dream, I was too far into the sleep to see anything past the forest. Except for the wolf.

It looked different this time though. It was massive—I could tell even from the huge distance between us. With the large, lean muscles over his shoulders and hind legs, he made even the road look small. I could make out every little detail of the fur on his back. All the dark spots striped across his back, the soft white gradient covering the rest of the body. Except for his face, which was almost completely colored with gray with only a darker splotch in the center of his forehead. Leading to his blazing dark eyes that starred straight through my own green eyes, leaving a trail of fire down my spine. Sending my heart rate skyrocketing, a fluttering pound that kept growing louder and louder and louder. Until the wolf turned around and dashed into the greenery.

I was running after him, floating harmoniously with him as if we were tied together. I didn't hear footsteps or feel the wind press against my face. Just the jolt of electricity pushing me closer to the wolf that was almost in reach ...

As I pushed a hand out to touch his luminous fur a brilliant light shined around the corner. Casting the wolf's unsaturated fur with an orange and blue tinted glow. I felt more determined than ever to get to him. But he was already disappearing into a giant fire surrounded by dark figures whose faces I couldn't make out. I cried out to him, feeling a magnificent longing to go into the fire, wanting to follow the wolf into the flames. And the second I thought of that possibility, I was soaring in after him. Engulfed in nothing but light when I felt a soothing fire curl around my backside. Bringing me to total ease, causing me to press my body into an unknown figure whose body was as hard as rock. A body as hot as the blazing fire.

When I woke in the morning from a peaceful sleep, I would remember nothing of my dream. Just the faint trace of sweat across my forehead and the tangled sheets wrapped around my body. Adding to the scorching heat that already ran inside my veins.

* * *

Okay, there you have it! Hope you all liked it. So, now I have got it on a roll.

PS - I promise Embry and the boys next chapter.

Also! If you guys have any thoughts or ideas for the story, I would be more than gratiful to hear them.

So, Thanks for reading. And remember to check out my profile and REVIEW! please.

Songs: _Lose Yourself_ by Eminem & _No One_ by Aly and AJ


	4. When All Else Fails, Run

Okay here it finally is. Sorry this took so long, I just wanted to make it good so it took a little longer than expected. But don't worry, next chapter will be easier, I already have a lot written. So thanks for reading and please review, it really does motivate me. And thanks to all my past reviewers! Yeah... Embry.

_Chapter 3. When All Else Fails, Run_

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

-Matthew 7: 13, 14

_Rinnnggg... rinnnggg... rinnnggg..._

"Oh, come on." I mumbled into the receiver, losing my patience.

_Click..._

"Hi. You have reached Julian Brayson. Please leave your name and phone number after the beep and have a nice day!" The recorded message played in the fast feminine voice of, what had to be, Julian Brayson.

_Beeeep. _

"Hi, my name is Malana Rowley and I have some questions about the wolf painting down on Olive Way. You can call me back at 307-685-6348. Thank you." I took a deep breath after cramming that out as fast as possible and snapped my phone shut.

Julian Brayson was the infamous painter of the wolf mural I caught sight of just two days ago. And earlier this afternoon, while eating lunch in the commons at school, I decided to retrieve my camera. With no intentions, what so ever, of looking at the wolf painting. But I happened to stumble across it and while spending my lunch hour staring at the picture, zooming in and out, I noticed something I hadn't seen before. A tiny white signature scrawled in the upper right-hand corner. I couldn't make it out at all, only the large _J_ followed by more scribble and a large _B_ that concluded the last name. So I spent my last afternoon classes in the library, researching any painters in Seattle with the initials J.B. I finally came across a Julian Brayson which led me to a personal website with all her paintings which consisted of different types of dogs and cats. But nothing about any wolf paintings, even though the signatures on all her online paintings matched the wolf one perfectly.

I could find no phone number either, only an email address. And after all the Google searches I finally came upon a number to call her with. Which only lead to her voicemail. I would have to call her back until she finally answered. But, what I would ask her, I do not know. I just felt so compelled to ask about it; Why did she paint it?; Where did she get the idea?; Had she seen him in a dream like me? No, probably not. Weird coincidences between two people was just something the movie industry made up. It wasn't real, just like a lot of other things. So, I continued down the street, away from Argosy University, being too tired to finish my last class. I was too tired to do much of anything, other than catching a bus and getting back to the campground to enjoy the storm that was headed this way.

I looked up at the sky then, feeling a light raindrop touch my face. There was definitely a storm coming, seeing how the dark clouds that hung low casted a shadow over Seattle. The streets were just as crowded, the boats just as full, as any other day. A late summer's storm was normal, it was the sunny days that people worried about. The rainy weather was also one of the main reasons why I moved to Washington. I hated the sunny beaches of Southern California and also the heavy snow storms of Northern Wyoming. It just never felt right being in either one, but the rain I found absolutely peaceful. I was always in a good mood when a storm came in, even the thunder I thought was marvelous.

But the one bad thing about Seattle was that the calm silence of the raindrops was drowned out by all the cars and cruise ship horns. The cleansing scent that I loved most about the rain was lost within the city pollution, even the ocean fragrance of Puget Sound couldn't overpower the heavy defilement.

I advanced along Wall Street, deciding to make my way to Pike Place Market where I did most of my shopping. After a mile and a half of walking I arrived at the opening of Pike Place. Easily, I started maneuvering between the heavy crowds of tourists and regulars, picking up and paying for whatever I laid my hands upon. I threw my extra change into the baskets of local musicians that played along the curb of the first Starbucks that was decorated in brown instead of the modern day green.

And in the mess of the noise I didn't hear my phone ringing in my jacket pocket, but I did feel the small vibration that rested along the right side of my stomach. I anxiously released my cell phone from the pocket and quickly picked up my pace to a more quiet part of the market as I answered.

"Hello." I said as clearly as I could. All of sudden going into a slight panic as I tried to remember what I called Julian Brayson for.

"Hi. Is this uh... Melinda?" She answered back, incorrectly saying my name. But before I had the chance to correct her, she was talking again. "Well, this is Julian Brayson, you called about the wolf painting?"

"Yes, that would be me. I was just wondering," I paused trying to think of something real fast, racking my brain for anything. "I saw that you painted mainly dogs and cats and just wanted to know why you painted a wolf on a building." I stated lamely, wondering if what I just said even made any sense.

"Why, I did it for that Country Station a couple years back. You know, KKWF; 100.7 The Wolf." She laughed with a honky-tonk accent that I didn't find amusing at all. I've spent my last four years trapped in country music central. And I am a full-blown rock 'n roll girl, so it was a living nightmare. But I went along with it anyways as she continued. "Country is my favorite and I am always trying new things. So when Tim McShane from their advertising department called me up and asked me to paint a wolf on their building, I jumped right on it. Oh, I was so excited. I was going to have _my_ painting on the side of the building of the most popular Country station in Seattle. Oh, I remember it like it was yesterday. So, anyways. I spent weeks making sketches and testing it out, I even visited the wolf haven down in Tenino. Oh, and I..."

"Oh, how nice. So, what made you paint _that_ wolf? I mean, there are tons of different types of wolves. Why a gray wolf?" I interrupted her, seeing that she was the kind of person that would tell a complete stranger her whole life story.

"Oh, well. Me and my hubby went up to a Motorcycle Rally in Forks. We're really into Harley's. And..."

"Wait, Forks? As in Forks, Washington near La Push?" I must of misunderstood her. There was no way. I didn't even feel bad for interrupting her again, I was too wrapped up in what she had just told me.

"Why, yes it is. That's the only Forks I know of, the one up in the Olympic Peninsula." She stated enthusiastically with a short intake of air and then a puff of breath. It sounded like she was smoking. Figures, she's probably some blond middle-aged rebel who smokes, rides Harley's, and is an animal artist.

"Sorry, about that. Go on." I said.

"Well, while we were down there we went hiking. My husband is really into wildlife photography, you see. And so when we were hiking he took a picture of a wolf we saw. Oh, it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. The picture came out blurry though. The poor creature ran away within only a glance. But I still remember the color, the face, the eyes. Oh, his eyes were gorgeous." She sighed, remembering that moment.

And I closed my eyes, imagining what she was telling me, seeing exactly what she had seen. But it was only a mere inspiration to her, not knowing how much it would mean to just one person.

"Well, thank you for your time Mrs. Brayson. I appreciate it a lot."

"No problem kid. Just one question though; Why are you so curious about the painting?"

"Well, it's just that..." I wasn't sure what to say, but I decided to tell her the truth. Well, part of the truth, at least. "I have seen the same wolf too and was just curious. That's all."

This comment started another story from her about coincidences and how small the world can be. I just let her ramble on, soaking up the now pouring rain while still standing at the edge of Pike Place Market. The place had almost completely cleared out with only the strike of thunder filling my ears. My Converses were already drenched along with my hair and jeans. But I didn't care. I was too deep inside the storm, saturating myself with the wonderful weather.

After awhile, Julian Brayson finally said goodbye and hung up. And all I could do was continue to stand there in the rain. Lifting my face up to the blackened sky, feeling the rush in my heart. I spread my arms out at my sides with a sudden freedom I never felt before. Thinking of nothing but the infinite possibilities of where my future now led to; La Push, where the wolf I'd seen most of my life might have been hiding this whole time.

-x-

Three days later I had all the hoses from my trailer stored nicely inside the outside cabinets along with my camping chairs. My dirt bike was tightly tied down with all my other inside belongings put away from any capable disasters. And my large truck, where Lovella currently held shotgun, was successfully hooked up to my Cherokee trailer as I set out along Interstate-5 going South, towards Portland.

I turned up the stereo and rested my head back against the seat with the light rain coming in through the slightly cracked windows and feeling the elegant breeze cross over my face. I started to feel a glowing warmth inside me that filled up my body as I let my mind wonder about the interesting conversations I shared just the past couple days...

I had spent the night after talking with Julian Brayson researching _every_thing about La Push and the school that I possibly could. So, my early morning the day after had started off with an anxious phone call down to the Quileute Tribal School where I would hope to receive a teaching job. I was first handed over to a Shelly—the Human Resources lady that posted new jobs for the school—who asked me simple questions about my qualifications, educational background, and certain troublesome class situations. Then was sent over to the principal of the school. Who asked me pretty much the same questions, only he asked me about lesson plans. I told him all my ideas about teaching basic art, drawing, photography, graphic design, web design, and I had even suggested the older kids putting together a yearbook at the end of the year. And after I went into detail about my plans for all the grades he just said, "Perfect." Then told me that the staff comes back to school a week before school starts, which only gave me three days till that next Monday when I will prepare my classroom.

I couldn't help but smile. I was going to be a teacher, an art teacher. It was the only thing I ever wanted to be more than a motocross racer. But there was one other thing that I really wanted too, something I wanted the most; answers. I _needed_ answers to that wolf and for some reason I felt I could find them in La Push. Maybe this all wasn't just a coincidence, maybe I saw that mural for a reason. I mean, it was the cause of me leaving Seattle. If I didn't hear from the eccentric painter that she had seen that same gray wolf in Forks, I don't know if I would of even considered taking the job. But I did and I practically got hired on the spot. Which was surprising, I didn't think it was that easy to become a teacher. But the school was very small, so it might of just been that one school.

A couple hours later, when I went to my morning classes, I enrolled into the online program. There was no way I could commute four hours, both ways and I had to stay in school, it was the only educational requirement Mr. Strom had for me. And it was no problem, the counselor at my University had said things like this happen all the time. And when I walked to my last classes at Argosy teachers and students were asking questions about the job and wishing me good luck, even the snobby administration lady had congratulated me. But as I walked past her with a small "Thanks", I heard her mumble something about having an illegal job.

_Idiot._

I was in too much of a good mood—something I hadn't come by so recently—too let the jealous and snide comments ruin any part of this strange bliss. I was already thinking about what Lauren had said when I came in to work with my letter of resignation.

I had imagined her giving me her dull glazed over look, pretending not to care or even imagined her breaking down, saying how she didn't want me to go. But Lauren wasn't that much of an emotional person, so the first scenario was much more realistic.

But, boy was I wrong.

When I walked into the studio, wanting to tell her as soon as possible to just to get it over with, her reaction was nothing like I had expected. She had stared at my outreached hand that held my letter. It looked as if she was still registering what I had just said.

"Lauren?" I called to her, stepping forward to encourage her to take the letter. Then out of no where, her face had softened and her petite frame came crushing into my body, giving me a huge hug.

"Oh, Malana. I am so happy for you. I just can't believe it. I am so proud!" She wailed into my chest, then stepped back, still holding a reasonably tight grip on my upper arms.

For a second time, she had completely left me dumbfounded. It was definitely not the reaction I had expected, none the less even considered. Now that I think of it, that was the first time she ever even had touched me. I didn't recall any hand shakes or even small gestures, so having her hug me with such force just kind of took my breath away.

"Oh, excuse me. I don't know what came over me. I am just so glad you chose to start teaching." She backed completely off, pushing up her black glasses with a large smile imprinted across her face. Then just simply walked away, back to what she had been doing before I had interrupted her work.

_I swear this week could not get anymore weirder._ I had thought to myself when I put my letter on her desk in the back room and seated myself at the desk by the front of the store and started answering the incoming phone calls for the last time.

After taking a good look around the studio, feeling no sorrow for leaving that place, I had said good-bye to Lauren who merely smiled at me, but didn't hug me again or even offer a handshake. I had walked out to the street, having taken the bus instead of my truck, just wanting to savor the ease of driving the Metro through town one final time. And when I finally got on that bus I stared at the Tukwila mall, wondering if I would miss the close to home shopping luxury and the crowded streets of Seattle. I then decided I wouldn't, I once wondered the same exact thing when I moved from Reno to Gillette. The drastic change in not only society, but the weather too, did not phase me, I actually had enjoyed the pleasant change in scenery.

And just three hours ago I had bid my farewells to the KOA staff, and of course paid my late payment, then hauled ass away from there. I was just now passing through Port Angeles on the 101. My hefty truck and trailer just barely fit into the narrow two lane highway that lay right in the middle of the green mountains. It was so gorgeous here that I could only imagine what it would be like when I finally reached La Push and had the chance to stroll down the beach, something I haven't done in a good ten years. I would definitely have to do that.

I let my mind wonder off again, hearing my stomach growl impatiently from not eating anything all day, it was already full of butterflies. But I decided to wait until I got to La Push to eat something, that way I had time to figure out where I was going to stay. It was the only thing I didn't look up the past couple days, my mind completely forgot about the one thing that I would of usually thought of first.

_Oh, well._ I was trying to just relax and go with the flow. I couldn't handle anymore distress. As if Lovella had red my mind, she let out a huge sigh, one of the most humane things she did. Then as I looked down at her, she gazed back at me with her caramelized eyes and started to crawl into my lap.

"Oh, I know Love. We are almost there." I said to her in a soothing tone as she laid her spotted head into my lap. I drove with one hand on the wheel while the other stroked her soft fur then I continued to gaze out the front windshield, watching the road but not paying much attention to actually driving.

As I finally came into Forks, I stretched out my aching arms in front of me and shook out my dirty blond hair, trying to wake myself up. As I approached a red light I stopped then and looked around at all the gas stations and fast food places, it reminded me of Moorcroft, and even Powell, and all those other dinky ass towns on the side roads of Wyoming. Except this wasn't little shit-kicker Wyoming, this was the lusciously green Olympic Peninsula, the amazingly fresh air alone brought a smile upon my exhausted face. Wanting more of the wonderful scent, I completely rolled down Lovella's and mine windows. It was still raining, only lightly, with distant voices of thunder ringing through the dark skies.

Just then, in my extended side mirror I saw a glint of red and suddenly a large roar bursted into the air, smacking me completely out of my drowsy state as I laid my eyes upon a red convertible that now lay next to my large Chevy and toy hauler. I gazed at the purring BMW with millions of facts running through my pounding head; 420 horsepower; V8 engine; 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. The BMW M3 is one of the fastest cars in the world and just hearing the exotic car idol sent a fiery shiver down my spine. I could already see flashes of a past video I had watched with my brother a couple years ago, the 2008 BMW M3 had been his ultimate dream car and it was all I heard throughout high school. M3 this, BMW that. The memory suddenly stung me with remembering how much I learned from my younger brother, he was such a car fanatic. He fancied the new and high-tech sport cars while I always had a soft spot for my old Chevy muscle cars.

Snapping out of the harsh memory, I glanced up at the driver, noticing how long this light was taking. And as I looked, I didn't know what was more striking, the car or the driver. She had long, shining blond hair that glistened in even the sunless sky and had huge dark glasses over her eyes that covered half of her glowing paled skin. I could tell, even with the glasses and her darkly clothed body hidden in her car, that she was magnificently gorgeous. And as if she sensed my shameful stare, she turned her head in my direction slightly, with a giant smirk tucked into the corner of her perfectly shaped mouth. She then shifted down a gear, looked at the road ahead of her, and before the red light could even fully change into green her foot was already on the throttle. Leaving no mercy what so ever on the ground beneath her. I stared off after the car with only the loud screech of rubber on cement ringing in my ears and watching how she did not swerve one bit as she had shot forward with excessive speed.

_Holy Shi..._

Before I could even finish that thought or even come down from whatever high I was on, I had other cars driving past me and people honking their horns from behind.

_Jeez_, I must be retarded_._ I was acting as if seeing one of the fastest cars known to mankind wasn't something you saw everyday.

_Right..._

I continued down the highway with my eyes still glued wide open from that astonishing appearance. But quickly recovered when I reached the outskirts of Forks, driving down the road that led to La Push. Soon, I had forgotten all about the BMW and started glancing at the map in my right hand while still driving 65 miles down a two lane road. I had memorized the map that morning before I left but had forgotten the little roads that led to the restaurant that my stomach was anxiously waiting upon.

I traveled down La Push Road, a little offshoot that I almost missed, winding through the roads, seeing nothing but the shorter trees that surrounded the highway and smelling the faint stinging scent of the ocean coming through the opened windows. I came across tiny green signs with all the little streets that traveled throughout the forest. The first street along the 110 was Quillayute Road, along with a deserted road that came right up next to the highway, only to disappear back into the forest seconds later and reappear at an intersection that only had ancient stop signs on that street. There was also a Wilson Road, which made me think back to my crazy art teacher from high school, Mrs. Wilson, who was known for her foul mouth and psychotic tendencies. I loved that old woman, she was one of the greatest teachers I ever had and whom I learned a lot from. I can still remember her calling me a "shit face," in her squeaky, old voice.

I forgot all about looking at the streets as more started to appear along the side of the road where the green trees got thicker and the rain came down harder. And when the speed limit was reduced to only 45 I knew I must be coming into town, which caused my relaxed heart to pick up an unhealthy pace for some reason. I ignored it as I saw another sign, except this one wasn't just a street, it said, "Three Rivers Resort, Next Right."

I looked farther into the forests depths as I finally saw the clearing of trees and a couple of small buildings. I slowed down and decided it was probably best to take a break, even though La Push was so close. So, I pulled in front of a small, tan building with a banner across the front stating, "3-RIVERS Resort and Store, Guide, Service." I noticed a few cabins stacked on top of each other past the store and wondered if this was the campground. My heart sank a tiny bit thinking that because I was really hoping the campground was closer to the beach.

_Oh well, guess I will find out soon enough._

I cringed a little at seeing how violent the rain and thunder had become, it was pouring so hard I could barely hear the cars flying down the road, especially with the crashing thunder that escaped the dusk sky above my head. Good thing I liked this weather or I would be flat-flipping screwed. So, as I reminded myself about loving this weather, I climbed out of the truck—hood up and sweater on—and jogged up to the store, leaving Lovella in the truck so she wouldn't get wet. When I came inside I pulled down the hood from my head and looked around for someone between the tiny aisles and wooden shelves of food, souvenirs, camping supplies and the large wall full of fishing gear.

"Hi, there. May I help you."

I jumped in shock as a tiny, elderly voice sounded from behind me.

"Oh, so sorry dear. I didn't mean to frighten you." She chuckled lightly as she took off her soaked jacket and muddy boots to make her way to the counter that I stood in front of.

"Oh, it's no problem. I just wanted to know where the nearest campground is." My voice sounded strained and choked up from not talking for so long.

"Why, this here is the RV Park." She told me and started pulling out stacks of papers and brochures of the resort. "Is that trailer out there yours?"

"Yeah."

"In that case then, the rate is eighteen dollars a night and five dollars for the dog. And there is also a fee for the showers and laundromat and there is also a restaurant right next door." She pulled out a blue piece of paper, then started writing down things for me to sign along with circling my campsite.

As she continued doing whatever it was she was doing, I looked around the desk and pulled out a map of the Olympic Peninsula campgrounds and recreation areas. While looking at La Push I noticed a tiny triangle along La Push road, near the coast.

"How close is the ocean from here?" I asked, thinking this was the campground on the map, only to notice another one farther up La Push Road.

"Oh, it's only about a ten minute drive to First Beach." She replied, not looking up from the paperwork. "How long do you plan to stay with us?"

I was caught off guard by the question, I wasn't so sure if this was the only campground close to La Push so I was getting ready to back out of staying here.

"Um, actually, is there another campground around here? One closer to the beach."

She looked up at me then with an impatient look and let out a tiny sigh and said, "Well, there is one but its mainly become a store. Nobody stays there anymore, only the drunken Indians hang out around there."

The petty woman never saw my annoyed gaze I set upon her as she turned back to the papers. I hated the way she said "Indians," emphasizing on the word as if it was inhuman. She might not of been a racist, but there was still no excuse for addressing them so inappropriately. I was such an anti-racist, it annoys me when people refer to African-Americans as Blacks and I thought the word Negro was a major racist term.

After standing there for a couple more minutes and building up my annoyance, I just walked away. I didn't bother to say good-bye or give my reason of leaving, I simply walked out the door, into the drizzle of rain, then slammed my truck door shut and continued down to La Push.

I tried calming down by putting in Tracy Chapman, it was the only thing that could calm me when I was in a rage. I had such a fierce temper that I have learned how to control it over the years.

Fast Car was the first song to play, which was good cause it was one of my favorite songs. The sweetly slow rhythm eased me down considerably along with seeing small, ancient houses spread out inside the forest. Then after about four miles of nothing but large trees again there was a huge, white sign just past the reduced speed limit sign. The white, wooden sign red, "La Push," in big, blue letters along with four smaller signs underneath; RV Park & Store, Oceanside Resort, River's Edge Restaurant...

After seeing the restaurant sign my stomach remembered how starved it was and caused a headache to emerge into my brain. So, without further ado, I looked at the map I accidentally took from the Three River's Resort and found that it was not too far from the RV Park. But I still wanted to eat first, so I just decided to travel through the town instead of dealing with another Campground so soon.

A half-hour later I sat in front of the River's Edge Restaurant, right next to the blue totem pole that consisted of a bird, a whale, a fish, and a little black wolf at the bottom with a large smile placed on it's face. I paid no attention to the pole now though, I was to busy scarfing down a burger and fries with Lovella laying next to me patiently from already chowing down her own food. The rain had subsided, for now, with still no trace of the sun except for the murky light of day that began to disappear.

Once I was completely full and exhaustion started to take over my body, I looked over at the river and ocean that flowed nicely just next to the restaurant. It was incredibly quiet here, with only the crashing waves and pecking seagulls mingling in the air. I absolutely loved it, the steadiness of a small town along the ocean shore with the amazing feeling of home to it. I have never felt so homely in my entire life and I had only been here for an hour or so.

I closed my eyes soon after, breathing in the salty ocean air and letting the breeze wash over my face, whipping my long blond hair behind me. I snapped my eyes open when I heard the front door of the restaurant slap open and out walked the bleak waitress that had served me when I ordered. The peculiar girl hastily walked to the forest with a gracious rhythm to her step. She was easily one of the most beautiful natives in town with her perfectly dark skin and large, black eyes with equally black hair cropped just to the base of her slender neck that made her stand out even more along with her statuesque height. She looked to be only a year or two younger than me and it hurt me to look into her lifeless eyes and see the broken expression she wore. It made me wonder what troubles she had endured in her life to make her spirit so visibly damaged.

And as my mind took off on different scenarios I hadn't noticed her stop and look back at me as if she was hearing my thoughts turn around. When I did sense her gaze and look at her, I know I should of turned away or at least smiled at her, but I didn't. I just stared back into her brutal eyes for a couple seconds before she quickly cantered into the depths of the surrounding forest.

Feeling more anxious to move on, I called Lovella to me and walked to my truck parked across the way. And before I pulled out I glanced back at the place in the somber forest where the agitated girl had found her stronghold. Then, I ventured out into little La Push to found my own.

-x-

Later that day I found myself stretched across the antique wooden picnic table that sat near my trailer inside the Lonesome Creek RV Park. I was right on the edge of the park where the rocky cement turned into the rough, tiny pebbles of First Beach. The potent sea zephyr was blowing across my face, leaving faint traces of moisture on my exposed beige skin. My dewy locks were tucked inside my folded arm that rested between the table and my head while I dangled my other arm near the sandy ground with a nearly full wine cooler laying in a slack grip between my four fingers. My body was softly swaying with the gentle, nonchalant voice of Rosi Golan that played through the little stereo I had on the ground just under my head. Listening to the quiet folk music accent the sounds of the crickets and tame waves that weaved through the luminously starry night with such perfection that it caused me to breath in the cleansing air deeply just to reassure myself I was really here in this exotic place.

As I let myself slip back into the bliss of my surroundings I heard distant voices echo into the evening. The sound of the faint, joyous voices came from no where, suddenly appearing from the forest walls itself. I thought the swift noises to be a tiny annoyance at first until I started noticing the innocent tone of lively people. Hearing a remote stampede of men voices and the tender talking from women motivated a small twitch inside my heart. A yearning warmth started to build up in the innermost core of my body causing me to close my eyes and clutch at my chest as my heart raced with the sensation. It was overwhelming, but not in the vicious way I had lately become accustomed to. It was just... powerful, alluring.

I suddenly felt energized with a desire to do something, anything. I looked around for Lovella, thinking of taking a jog since I had a hefty dinner, when I saw her sitting resignedly under the table with her long tail dancing back and forth with anticipation.

"Come on, girl. Are you ready for a run?" I asked enthusiastically and bounced off a broken log that was in my way as I took off down the dark, isolated beach.

Lovella quickly over took me and was rushing up the beach, leaving me in the dust with my steady canter. By the time I noticed the same voices from earlier become more clear, Lovella had came flying around the bend on the beach I was approaching. I halted when she started prancing around me, I was debating with myself if I should turn around, knowing that I would be disrupting whatever was going on around the bend. Or if I should follow my instincts and go forward.

_What's the worst that could happen? _I questioned myself, already making the decision to just go for it. My only obstacle being that I was in only my sports bra and shorts, but thankfully I had a jacket on too. So as I made my way towards the rising voices I pulled up the front zipper of the jacket and picked up my pace as I finally made my way around.

The first thing I saw was the blazing bonfire that sparked with little blue flames and the large silhouettes of at least a dozen people that surrounded the fire. As I approached closer, I felt as if this scene was familiar in a way. I don't know why, but it just did.

I heard a few men that crouched a little ways away shouting in a friendly matter to each other. I noticed that they were playing football, one team with shirts on, the other with no shirts. And as one team backed away to throw the football, one of the few women sitting at the fire had stood up with a child in her arms and called out to them, "Boys! Watch what you are doing, you don't want to injure anyone."

She had an incredibly motherly tone to her speech. And I could tell she was young though when she turned towards me and gave me a caring smile that only filled half of her face due to three large scars across her face that shined against her dark skin with the flicker of the flames. I did not dwell on her scars for more than a second before I returned a smile of my own to her and the other ladies that accompanied her.

And at her words to the "Boys," they had all paused their game to question her abrupt statement, which led their gazes to me as I continued to jog past them with Lovella trotting beside me. I glanced at a few who lingered on their stares and smiled sheepishly at them.

But there was one person that caught my glance and turned it into a gaze as that same enchanting tug pulled at me again with a remarkable force. My jog turned into a hasty walk as I looked deeply into those wonderful dark eyes that watched me with the same intensity of the scolding fire that reflected inside them. The glowing combustion that swelled my heart and sent that familiar flame down my spine nearly caused me to fall over a piece of wood that I never saw. But I merely bumped into it which snapped me out my daze, only to look back to the man and see him shaking his head back and forth before he almost caught my stare again before I turned away.

As I picked up my pace with my mind still in a light fog I noticed how silent the group of people had become. I only heard a couple murmurs and a mild profanity of surprise. And before I made my way into the forest to get to the highway on the other side to turn around, I looked back. I could instantly pick him out of the other men for his body was more slender than the other huge bodies that now surrounded him yet he still had the same shapely muscles rolling under the russet skin. I hadn't realized I had stop to gaze at his masculine features, his short, wavy hair with bangs that hung just above his eyes, and the torn shorts that was his only attire. Even in the harsh shadows that moved across his body with the flames and the black night I could tell he was elegantly handsome.

I heard Lovella whimper behind me as I started to unconsciously move towards the crowd of people. I looked back at her for a fraction of a second as I gazed one more time at the stunning person that now locked eyes with me again from hearing Lovella whine. I only looked back for a second, this time in control of myself, and gave a tiny smile and rushed off down the vacated road with a large grin that mirrored the one that I received from the mystifying man that glowed in the burning embers in between the peacefully crashing ocean and the luscious, swaying trees of La Push.

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Thanks again for reading and please, please review! Oh, and don't forget to check out my profile for pictures of my Embry and also a pic of Leah.

The songs for this chapter are: _Rush_ by Aly and AJ & _Vindicated_ by Dashboard Confessional

Happy Thansgiving Everyone!


	5. Seeing Isn't Quite Believing

Okay everyone, here it finally is!! That took forever and I am sorry about that but I forget how time consuming the holidays can be. So, you might be glad to know that, for my stall on posting, I will be giving out an excerpt of the next chapter. And it will be a good one... with Embry. hehe

And I would LOVE to thank every single one of you that have reviewed and got alerts and added me to their favorites! THANK YOU!!!!

Okay, I am done, so read on...

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_Chapter 4. Seeing Isn't Quite Believing_

"What we seek we shall find; what we flee from flees from us."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Hello, may I help you?"

I jumped violently from the voice that spoke from behind me and turned around to face a bearded man with glasses.

"No." I said, it sounding more like a breath of air then a word for I still frantically held my rapidly beating heart against my hands.

I wasn't expecting to see anyone around for a while since it was only six-thirty in the morning. And the school had been completely deserted when I arrived at six o'clock.

"Oh, sorry there. I didn't mean to scare you." He told me as he slightly lifted both of his palms toward me in surrender. "I am Frank Hanson, the superintendent. And you must be that new teacher?" He questioned, not quite sure of himself.

I calmed my breathing and smiled half-heartedly at him, still a little shaken, before I answered. "Yes, the Fine Arts teacher. Ms. Rowley. Um, uh... Malana, I mean." I said, with any courage I had built up the past couple days slowly slipping away with each ticking minute.

_I am freaking doomed._

"Well, it is nice to finally meet you, Malana." he said, lifting a hand for me to shake that I hesitantly took in introducing myself. "Oh, there's no need to be nervous. It's a small school and the only ones you got to watch out for are the teenagers and there aren't too many of them." He stated while chuckling lightly into his coffee mug he had pressed to his lips.

"That's just what I was afraid of." I mumbled to him, only half-joking.

I was perfectly calm with teaching the middle schoolers and the younger ones, I always got along great with little kids. But it was the dreadful teenagers that left me concerned, for I never really got along with them, not even when I was one.

"Nah, it'll be fine. You just have to get into the flow of things." He told me with a shrug and started back down the hall again, where a couple more teachers had showed up. "Well, it was nice meeting you again. And good luck with today." He called out to me, briskly walking away from me now.

I looked back out the windows, where the sun was starting to peak through the heavy trees, and then glanced away quickly for my crazed behavior. I think the anxiety was finally getting to my head, for just a few moments ago I was gazing out into the darkened forest in search of the object that I had caught out of the side of my vision. I could have sworn I saw a white flash go racing through the forest, but I couldn't be sure. I just looked out into the trees, hoping for my curiosity to be settled, only to find the same green trees, sticking to the same brown ground that surrounded the Tribal School.

_Yup, I was definitely doomed._

I thought to myself again with a deep sigh, as I arrived to my small room where my large desk sat in the front and the long student tables sat in rows just in front of mine. The white walls now had large posters taped everywhere, posters of motocross racers, of famous paintings and photographs, and even some things I had created myself, along with random quotes. Even my picture I took of the wolf mural in Seattle held its own spot on the still bleak walls. The room was incredibly small—compared to my past classrooms at least—and only had large gray cabinets along each side of the room and an old chalkboard at the very front.

I stared out the windows again, for no reason this time, and watched tiny raindrops catch on the glass that showed nothing but the greenery. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, I walked over to one of the dull bookshelves where I had placed my entire book collection inside.

It contained tons of books, ranging from Stephen King to Sarah Dessen and all the way back to Jane Austen. I loved to read, every since I was a Freshmen, it was one of my hobbies I had to pass by my loneliness and distant myself from the real world. But, know that I think about it, I haven't red a book for pleasure for almost a year now. I couldn't even remember the last book I red or even what it was about. I had lost all interest in reading and writing and doing the little things I always loved to do, even riding my dirt bike.

I sighed again, looking around the classroom with that same odd sense of detachment. As the feeling spread I started having images pop inside my head of all the bad things that could go wrong today.

I saw myself walking down the aisles, tripping, falling, being laughed at. I imagined me standing up to talk and everything in my mind fly right out the window, only to be laughed at again.

"Jesus, get a grip Malana!" I said aloud to myself as my imagination started to get out of hand.

I refocused myself and looked around at the walls to bring myself back down to earth. Only to see in large bold letters, written across the top of the blackboard, the familiar quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"**What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you."**

The quote had always been a great reassurance to me and still brought me ease right this moment as I thought about what was being said.

I turned around again and grabbed a random book from the shelf and walked back to my desk where I started to read Wuthering Heights. I traveled through the first couple chapters with easy readability before I noticed footsteps coming into the room.

I glanced up from the book and took my feet off the desk to find a small dark-haired, dark-skinned girl standing in the doorway, looking at the pictures on the walls. I looked at my watch, noting that the first bell rang in ten minutes, and told the girl she could sit anywhere she liked.

She looked at me, as if noticing for the first time that I was there, and squeaked out an, "Okay," before placing a big, pink backpack on one of the middle tables. But instead of sitting down, she wondered around the room. Looking at all the miscellaneous posters and pictures hung everywhere. She even stopped to look at my book collection then continued to slowly walk through the room.

I let her be and went back to reading my book for only a minute or two before she spoke out suddenly...

"Do you like wolves?" She asked in a sweet voice while she stared at my wolf mural photograph that had been enlarged to a good sixteen-by-twenty. She then looked at me impatiently when I didn't respond right away.

"Yes. Do you?" I asked her as I rose to my feet to stand by her when a huge smile spread across her face that showed her dimples and frantically shaked her head up and down. When I reached her, she ran off to her backpack and rummaged through it until she came back with a little stuffed animal.

"I looovvvee wolves. Specially my brown wolf." She said tenderly as she gave the small plush—which I now recognized as a brown wolf—a tight squeeze and kissed the tip of its black nose. My heart swelled with warmth as I watched the little girl gently pet the toy with so much affection.

Just that little moment, watching the tiny girl, I felt refreshed with no sense of doubt, what so ever, inside of me as the first bell rang and the child rushed off to her seat with the plush cradled in her lap. I took a deep breath while looking at my wolf picture and walked to my front door to watch the other kids rush to their first classes and greeted the elementary kids that came into my room.

And just as I was about to walk back inside, seeing how the classroom had filled exceptionally, I noticed three large figures come through the front doors that were on the other side of the school. As they approached I could make out the tall, lanky build of all of them, which was remarkably similar to each other.

And once they caught my stare, all three of them looked up at me and I instantly recognized them from the group of men I saw just a few days ago. My heartbeat started to pickup as I remembered that night and for a moment I questioned if they were even students. But thought better when they each entered the same classroom just as the bell rang.

Breaking away from the memory, I walked back inside and started my first day as a teacher with the memory of those dark, fiery eyes burning into the back of my mind. Starting a little fire inside the pit of my stomach that I know had nothing to do with nerves.

-x-

After fighting the crowd of kids in the cafeteria for lunch I decided to be brave and adventure to the staff lounge. When I finally found the small room I walked in seeing a couple vending machines and a counter with a microwave and coffee pot. I looked around the rest of the room, seeing only a couple round tables that were already filled with the staff. I suddenly came up with another scenario of getting a soda then hiding away in my room instead of socializing like a normal person with my new coworkers.

Just as I safely made my way to the vending machine, I noticed a large woman with small eyes looking over at me with a genuine kindness in her eyes while a smile started to grow on her russet colored face.

She was listening to, what appeared to be, a meaningless conversation with two other native women much younger than herself. She nodded her head at me in greeting and lifted a pudgy hand to wave me over to her.

"So you must be the new foreigner everybody's been gossiping about." She stated with an old, raspy voice that truly showed how old she must be.

I nodded and replied, "Yes, I suppose that would be me."

At that moment I felt like I was back in high school, starting at a new school. I was shy and unsure of what to say around these new people with fear of rejection.

The old women obviously caught up on my nervousness and I could feel my face start to blush at the thought.

"Well, no need to be shy child, we are all family here. Come sit." She told me as she motioned to the rest of the staff room. And by the uncomfortable looks of the two women at the table, I could see that they did not agree much with that comment.

"I am Sharon Pullen," She told me as I pulled out a chair and set my sandwich down to eat. She raised her right hand towards me and I took it with my own hand.

"Hi, I am Malana. Um... Malana Rowley. I am the new art teacher."

"I am well aware of what subject you are teaching." She rushed out, then paused for a moment before continuing. "News travels fast with only 20 staff members." She winked at me as if it were a secret being shared between us both.

I couldn't think of a response to this so I simply just smiled and nodded.

We sat in silence as I started to pick off pieces of a peanut butter and jelly and she sipped only a cup of coffee. I couldn't help but notice the way she seemed to be somehow dominant over everybody else. It could have been the way she dressed in wool garments with tribal signs imprinted on them. Or perhaps the dark abyss of her almond eyes that focused on something I couldn't see. Just as I realized I must be staring, the two other woman at the table left without acknowledging Sharon or I at all.

"So, what are you teaching here?" I asked her, trying to start up a conversation.

"Oh, I am just the culture teacher. My son, Perry, is the cook here at the cafeteria. You might of seen him, he is kind of hard to miss." She replied as I remembered the extremely large Quileute man trying to flirt with me just moments ago. But I didn't mention this to her. Instead I told her how nice he was and that he was a wonderful cook.

She beamed at my comment and with the prideful look on her face I could see all the love she carried for her son.

"It has always been a passion of his since he was ten years old. And it's a rare thing now a days when a child finds something they love to do and can make a career out of it." This time I was the one smiling at her because I was one of those rare kids she was talking about.

I had always loved drawing and being creative ever since I could remember. And when I was a freshmen in high school I found that I loved working with computers and cameras too. That's how I discovered my passion for the arts and I never looked back from that path. Not once. And judging by my survival of the elementary and middle school kids, I must have done something right by choosing to teach it. But I knew it wasn't over until that final bell rang later this afternoon, dismissing the high schoolers from their first day back.

I suddenly lost my appetite as my earlier thoughts came rushing into my mind, leaving a trail of negative images to linger, sending a deep frown to pull on my lips and sink all my good self-esteem way, _way_ down into oblivion.

"Now, what's got you so upset, child?" Sharon asked in an almost upset manner, which startled me. But her tone suddenly sent a picture of Mrs. Wilson inside my head as I just looked at Sharon, seeing Mrs. Wilson again. "Come now, it must not be that bad."

"It's not, just... thinking." I mumbled to her, giving up on my sandwich and opening my Diet Pepsi.

And she must have been unsatisfied with my answer as she huffed and continued talking. "What? No falling on your ass? No stuttering, or throwing up? No kids mistaking your last name for Lard_ass_ and being the school joke for the rest of the semester?" She huffed out in a whole breath and glared at the windows and mumbled, "Little shits..."

I just stared at her with my sip of soda still floating in my mouth from the shock of her abrupt statement. It took me a while to wrap my head around what she just said and when it finally clicked, I swallowed and started to laugh. My loud laugh started to fill the room as the image that swarmed my head became uncontrollably funny. I noticed Sharon's gently laugh beside me and started to calm down with realizing how what she said really wasn't all that funny. But I found—especially after Mrs. Wilson—that when little old ladies cussed, it was absolutely hilarious.

I took a breather and asked Sharon breathlessly what she was talking about.

She went into an elaborate story of her first year of teaching when her maiden name was Lerdask and how one rowdy student called her Ms. Lardass. And she went on saying how she was always overweight and had very low confidence that it was absolutely humiliating. She told me that the last time anyone called her Lardass was right before she started balling in front of her entire class. Supposedly that shut everyone up after weeks of cruel comments and jokes.

I felt terribly horrible for laughing but she only laughed more, having to wipe her eyes once she finished looking back at the memory. But I only smiled, having my laugh of the day, and told her how good my morning had surprisingly been. And I was blessed with no misfortunes.

After a few more minutes of talking, Sharon and I left the small lounge to part to our classes. I closed the door behind me when I got to my room and started my small stereo I brought with me. I noticed an old burned CD inside the player earlier and turned the songs until I came upon one that I currently had a craving to listen to.

I let the soft guitar play out and same with the drums before I started swaying around with the rhythm of the lead singers lyrics. Soon I was mouthing the words, glad I didn't have headphones in so that I could somewhat control my crazy behavior. I danced around the room while picking up scraps of paper and cleaning off the tables from earlier this morning. I started bobbing my head around, like I used to do when I was a teenager and in my death metal stage, and continued singing along...

_I never conquered, rarely came  
Sixteen just held such better days  
Days when I still felt alive  
We couldn't wait to get outside  
The world was wide, too late to try  
The tour was over, we'd survived  
I couldn't wait till I got home  
To pass the time in my room alone..._

As the song came to a closing with the last chorus, I heard the bell ring and instantly went to the other side of the room and turned down the volume. Only a little though, as another old favorite came on. I thought it was probably best to show the older ones I was _cool_...

_Huh, yeah right._ I thought to myself as I leaned against my desk after opening my door to a couple waiting students. I assumed they didn't need telling that they could choose their own seats, seeing as different groups started to form in separate parts of the room.

As I waited for the final bell to ring I noticed the three boys from earlier this morning walking into the room, barely skimming the top of the door. Now that they were up close I could tell them apart from each other, but only by minor facial features. I watched them take their seats and scanned the room to look at the other students. They all looked pretty similar, now that I looked. All russet skin, dark hair, dark eyes...

But there was one person who stood out from the rest. At least to me anyways. She sat in the farthest corner, away from everybody else. I could tell she was the outcast. Her thick, long raven colored hair lay limply around her dark sweater and almost completely covered her face with a dramatic part right down the middle of her scalp. I could still make out the different skin tone she had though; she was more pale than the normal red Quileute skin, looking only nicely tanned. She must not be full blooded Quileute, like I assumed all of the other kids were. She had a more cool tone to her, unlike the Quileute kids, with her blue tinted hair, dark ocean eyes, and the more lighter skin color. I started to wonder if her skin would feel cold too.

I looked down at my attendance sheet, guessing what her name was. It could be an easy guess since there was only six other girls.

Amber, Samantha, Jody, Ana, Maria, Elizabeth, Nalani...

Elizabeth, Elizabeth Pascua. That had to be her name. I just had a feeling that was her. Most of the other girls' names have already been said in acknowledgment by other classmates and she just didn't look like an Amber or a Jody.

I drew my attention back to the rest of the class as the tardy bell rang. I glanced around the small room one last time before I asked myself what the hell I was doing here then took a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing..._

"Okay everyone settle down." I commanded in a casual tone, trying not to sound too strict. I instantly kicked into my teaching mode, leaving all my bad self-esteem behind me. "So, welcome to your new art class everyone. I know you all must be thrilled." I said, sitting cross-legged on my nearly empty desk, hoping they would pick up on my sarcasm.

I was greeted with a bunch of muted "Yeahs" and grunts, even a loud "Heck yes!" by one of the three look-alikes.

I could tell right off the bat who was going to be the smart ass of the class. I looked at the other two boys who sat next to the loud one. All three had the same dark skin, same black hair that even had the same short haircut and the same gangly body frames. But each had completely different facial expressions.

I noticed the one who sat closest to Elizabeth, I assumed her name, was glancing at her every few seconds. He held his matured face in a large hand, not paying attention to anyone else but her. It was obvious he was looking but nobody acknowledged it, as if it was normal. Maybe it was. But she didn't look up to meet his stare, or even at me as I started taking attendance. I called out names, alphabetically going down the list, anxiously waiting until I got to the P's.

The smart ass came first, Brady, then a couple others before I got to a Seth. I presumed Seth was the staring one because as I called out his name again everyone turned to look at him. The last look-alike who sat in between him and Brady nudged him and pointed at me.

"Seth Clearwater?" I questioned a third time, addressing him with his whole name.

"Yes, ma'am." He said in a low, yet deep, voice. He glanced at the quiet girl one last time before giving me his full attention.

"Thank you." I mumbled, continuing down the list.

There was only Elizabeth Pascua and Nalani Solis left on the list.

"Elizabeth... Paskwa?" I purposefully said her last name wrong, hoping to get some kind of reaction from her as she continued drawing in what appeared to be a large notebook.

Some of the girls silently giggled while one of them breathed out an "What a freak," with a shake of her head. I didn't find it amusing at all, I actually found their behavior towards Elizabeth very repulsing. And I believe Seth did too as I saw his head quickly shoot towards the laughing girls, sending them a very harsh glare that instantly turned the room dead silent.

I was just about to call her name again when Seth leaned towards her.

"Liz." He said her name gently and quietly with a cautious tone. Her eyes directly locked with his. They sat there staring at each other for exactly two seconds before she looked up at me and spoke.

"It's Pascua." She surprisingly corrected me. I didn't think she was paying any attention. "_Elizabeth_ Pascua." She repeated her first name, glancing at Seth as she said it.

Seeing her so angry with Seth, who looked like a scorned child, made me wonder what he did to make her so upset. I quickly made the thought leave my mind as I called on Nalani, the snappy girl who had made the obscene remark towards Elizabeth. She just looked me up and down with her to made up eyes, obnoxiously smacking her gum, before she replied with an arrogant, "What?"

I stared at her in complete bewilderment, wondering how a student could be so disrespectful on the first day of school. But I regained my composure and stood up from the desk, crossed my arms, and stared her down. I was always a great intimidator; it's why I thought I would become a great teacher.

"I want you to quit smacking your gum like a damn animal and throw it away. This is Fine Arts, not a zoo." I know it was harsh, even for me. But after having a psychotic, yet genius, art teacher like Mrs. Wilson in high school, who practically ruled the school, I learned that the skill of teaching is having a firm hand.

She gave me a loathing stare before walking past me to spit out her gum. When she finally sat back down, I too stationed myself back to sitting on my desk, pretending I was never interrupted by Nalani. Except for the fact that all the girls were glaring at me, except for Elizabeth who just stared at me with her unusual large, sapphire eyes. I heard Brady chuckle and then murmur "Ooh, burn," to his other look-alike, Collin, while Seth just stared at his desk with a tiny smirk in the corner of his lips.

"Okay, now that that's taken care of. I would like everyone to take one of these packets and pass them around. The first sheet is a letter to your parents, which if you bring back signed within a week, you will receive extra credit. Then the second..." I continued on explaining the course and the upcoming projects and subjects that I would be teaching them. Then I decided to do an activity I had found off the Internet that had seemed interesting.

"Now for some fun. This is just a little exercise to get to know each other a little better. So, I..."

"Dude, we have all been classmates since like kindergarten." Brady said.

I had the feeling he was a good kid who just liked to screw around so I decided to play along.

"Really? That's to bad, I guess we can start taking notes on the Principles of Art, start learning about painting, and studying _World_-Renown Ansel Adams... shall I go on?"

"Oh, no. That's okay, I think I rather learn about my fellow classmates." Brady replied smugly with a cough.

"Okay then, as I was saying. I want each of you to come up and get one of these yellow pieces of paper and fill them out however you like." I told them as the kids started to come up and grab a a paper. "I will give you guys a few minutes to get those finish then I will collect them and continue on to the next thing."

As the students started filling out their "interview" questions I took my time to catch a breath and relax a little. I watched the students write and just after a couple minutes, some were already handing me their papers. I didn't bother looking, knowing I was going to pair them up tomorrow based on the answers, and just set them down on my desk.

"Okay, has everyone turned theirs in?" I asked, watching a bunch of heads bobble up and down. "Now, I want you to take out a sheet of paper for a little test. And on that sheet of paper I want you to answer the following..." I said while writing down ten different questions for them to answer...

"Where was I born?... What is my favorite form of art?... How many brothers and/or sisters do I have—if any?... How many different states have I lived in?... I have five tattoos, what is one of them?... How old am I?... What is my favorite animal?... What kind of car do I drive?... What sport do I compete in?" I red aloud as I wrote it down. "Go ahead and answer those and we'll see how well you all did. And do take this test seriously, for it will be worth points."

I heard some people moan and whine while others started jotting down—what I am sure to be—random things. But I was mainly looking to see if anyone was looking around the room, for I had made some of the answers_ very_ obvious with all my posters and books. There were only a few though that were looking around, some were even looking at me, as if my style or looks would give something away.

I could only imagine what they thought of me; some twenty year old freak with two-colored hair, facial piercings, a chain hanging on old skinny jeans, and a freshly ironed and hemmed black button-up, completing the look with dirty Converses. Yeah, I definitely wasn't your average teacher. Everybody, including the staff, probably thought I just never got over my "Bad Ass" stage from high school. But, now that I think about it, I actually never did.

-x-

When I came out of the school, with only my laptop case and my helmet, I practically jogged. Well, if there wasn't still a lot of people in the parking lot I might have been. But unfortunately, there were people still around, so I relaxed and walked over to my dirt bike that I had ridden to work, not wanting to bother with my truck. I rather make a scene with my obnoxiously loud motorcycle than my over-kill of a truck.

As I put on my helmet and kick started the engine I couldn't help but think how I actually did it, I actually survived my first day of school. Well, first day of teaching, that is. But if I weren't so exhausted I might have been proud of myself too.

And with the short ride back to the campground all I could think about was my entire day. The good and the bad. There was barely any bad things though. The good things—like meeting Sharon and having the test about me become an absolute success with all the hilarious answers I received—blew past all the bad moments by a long shot. I could hardly believe it...

I pulled into my isolated space where I hopped off my dirt bike and went to undo the back of my trailer. When I pulled my motorcycle around to go put it inside the trailer I felt a chill run up my back, igniting the little hairs on my neck.

It was that strange sense of feeling like someone was watching you. I didn't fell afraid, as if I felt the need to run away and hide. It was just... strange. I tried ignoring it, determined to not look around me and become paranoid. But my curiosity got the better of me as I chanced a good look around the desolate forest where nothing but the wind sounded. Then looked to my right where the beach waves crashed and a couple people walked along, paying no attention to me.

I restarted the engine and rode my bike up the ramp while feeling like a complete idiot. I totally ignored the feeling now even though it still rested inside the nerves of my mind.

But after putting up the ramp and securing it with a lock, I turned around to face the forest again. Even though it was daytime and the rain had become a tiny drizzle, the ambush of trees I gazed at were still pitch black. And even if there was someone, or something, watching me I wouldn't be able to see it anyways.

With that last thought, I walked away and went to the door of my trailer where I could hear Lovella scratching from the inside. I glanced one last time, seeing nothing of course, then gave up and finally greeted Lovella...

"How's my girl doing?"

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Fhew! I hope you all enjoyed and don't forget to review! I will give you a** preview of next chapter!!!! **So... also check out my profile for pics of Seth, Elizabeth, and this cool thing I found from DancinAlways416 of Malana's school outfit. It's pretty freaking cool, so you should look.

Da Chapter songs are... _All Star_ by Smashmouth and _Adam's Song_ by Blink 182

Happy Holidays and I promise to have the next chapter soon!


	6. Every Once In A While Fate Steps In

Here is the fifth chapter for all you lovely people. I hope you enjoy it and please, please review. I already have 30 reviews, well close enough to 30 reviews. So thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are great along with even just the readers.

Well, enjoy Embry...

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_Chapter 5. Every Once In A While Fate Steps In_

"Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is."

- Gary Zukav

For the next couple days I walked around in an entire daze with a bare sense of atmosphere hanging around me. I noticed it whenever I was walking along the beach, or strolling through town by myself, and even when I was pumping my brain with all of the upcoming activities and assignments I had for the rest of the school year. The only time I didn't recognize this new empty feeling was when I was in class, in all of my classes for that matter. But there were times when I would find that feeling creeping back into me while I sat at my desk during class when all the kids were busy with work and I had nobody to help. I would distract myself from that lonesomeness during my high school period by gazing at the three boys that sat contently with each other and would marvel at the similarities between them and that one man I saw just a couple weeks ago. I never noticed that empty feeling leave me as my thoughts would wonder to him...

A chill ran up my arms and neck then, casting tiny bumps to rise up all over my body, as I shook my mind off those dark, piercing eyes. I reached my hand up to the back of my neck, underneath my soaked hair, and rubbed the shivering sensation away while trying to refocus my attention on the merchandise in front of me and shake the memory from my mind.

I was inside a little souvenir shop just along the beach were I was escaping the torrential downpour that appeared out of no where. The tiny store was crowded with different sized and colored woven baskets and Quileute books and music. It was interesting, but nothing really caught my attention, I was merely grazing around not looking at much of anything.

I wondered to the front of the store where there was one other person inside the tiny shop. She was older and had a gaunt look to her brown face where large purple bags hung under her eyes. She was a small women who stood a good few inches shorter than me and looked incredibly thin as her aging skin stretched across the defining bones of her jaw and high cheekbones. The woman stood by the glass windows in a long-sleeved shirt that had the shops logo embroidered across it and a tiny white name tag with "Nadine" written across it in bold letters.

I turned away abruptly when she caught my gaze then proceeded towards the cluttered counter where she asked if I needed help.

"No. No, thank you. I am just looking." I smiled at her as I pretended to read a flyer that hung on one of the woven baskets. She didn't say anything, just looked back out the windows. For some reason I had an unsettling nerve to get her to talk to me. So, what better way to start a conversation then with the weather.

"It's quite crazy out there isn't it?" I said with a little laugh and proceeded to gently clear my throat when she didn't respond.

_God, I am lame. _I thought to myself as I bowed my head and let out an inaudible sigh.

Then I heard a small chuckle from the women and turned around to see a smirk on her lips as she still looked outside.

"You're not from around here, are you?" The woman asked me when she turned her body towards me with a humble smile on her face this time.

"Is it that obvious?" I replied sheepishly while bitting my lip.

"I would say so. Crazy isn't exactly the right word I would use to describe the never ending rain here." She paused to look back out the window, except this time she almost looked... impatient. It seemed as if she was waiting for something. "So, where exactly are you from?"

"Oh, well... I just moved to Seattle back in April. Then just a few days ago I got offered a job here at the school." I don't why I didn't tell her about me being a teacher, I guess it still didn't feel real yet.

She looked at me with curiosity flashing through her features then asked—more less stated, "So, you are that new art teacher then."

"Uh... yep." _Well, I should of saw that one coming._ "I guess I forget how fast word spreads in small towns."

"Yes, the whole town has been talking about the new mysterious teacher for weeks now. But from what I've heard, I imagined less piercings, cowboy boots, and a southern accent." She said with a shake of her head, then looked me up and down to prove herself wrong.

But I groaned inwardly and shivered from even the mere thought of _me_ in cowboy boots and the only time _I_ had a honky-tonk accent was when I was mocking somebody.

"I was raised in California and lived in Wyoming for only four years. And hated it, I might add." I told her as she just smiled at me again.

"Well, what made you take up a job all the way down here?" She asked with a thin cocked eyebrow.

"Oh, well..." I wasn't quite sure what to tell her. _I _didn't even know what I was doing here. "I am not really sure I guess. I just have had a rough year and needed to do something else cause whatever was going on in Wyoming and Seattle obviously wasn't working for me." I mumbled out the last part while gazing out the window, barley registering the unnecessary information I just told her. And when the realization finally did click in my brain I flashed my face towards hers, hoping she wasn't paying any attention to what I said, only to see her staring down at the counter top while picking at her nails.

"Sorry." I automatically muttered towards her.

Saying sorry was one of my worst habits, a strange habit I've had my whole life. My brother would bite his nails, my mother grinded her teeth, and my father smoked 2 packs a day. And I said sorry too much.

"Oh, no, no, no dear. There is no need to be sorry. I just started thinking of old times and got ahead of myself." She told me with a feeble hand placed over her heart and a heartbreaking look in her eyes while she still gently smiled. "I just understand what you mean, getting away and all. I moved to La Push about nineteen years ago... but I don't want to get into_ that_ story." She said while taking the hand that laid on her chest down to her stomach.

Instantly, a younger pregnant image of the lady popped inside my head, that small gesture reminded me of how a pregnant lady cradles her stomach. And I sure as hell wasn't going to bring back her old memories by continuing this conversation. So, hoping for some kind of distraction, I grabbed an old, thin book that sat closest to me, not even looking to see what it was about, and sat it onto the counter.

"Is this it for you, hun?"

"Yes, seems interesting enough." I said with a shrug as I pulled out my wallet.

She flipped the green book around to see the title and lifted her eyebrows. "The Quileute Legends: Folklore, Myths, and Traditional Indian Stories." She red from the decaying bind of the book. "Interesting, indeed." She flipped the book around again and handed it out to me.

"Here, you can have it. Those books are as old as my grandfather and have never sold. All the locals know the stories already and tourists just don't find them exciting enough to buy."

"No, I couldn't do that. I..."

"Nope, I insist. It's your's, take it." She said determinedly as I gave up and took the book from her. "You never know, it might come in use one day." She told me with a quick wink and pulled on a heavy jacket before turning the OPEN sign to CLOSED.

"I really appreciate it, thanks a lot." I said as I walked to the front doors where I was about to go into the freezing rain again, knowing she was leaving too.

"Oh, it's no problem. I've closed everything down already and my son is on his way to get me." She came to stand by me and reached a hand out to me. "But it was nice meeting you..."

"Malana."

"Malana. What a pretty name." She told me while shaking my hand.

"Thank you, it was nice meeting you too." I called to her as I pulled up my hood and walked outside with the book in my hand.

When I walked out I stood under the tiny awning to work up the guts to go walk out into the continually blowing rain. And when I heard a loud engine coming closer to the shop I glanced up from my hood that covered my face and could faintly make out the ancient blue Chevelle that just pulled up.

I had a sudden fleeting sensation pass through my stomach that sent a shivering fire down my spine and left goosebumps across my body. I had a similar feeling every time I saw an old muscle car, especially the Chevelle, which was one of my favorite cars.

I stole another glance at the car, but couldn't see much through the downpour of rain so I finally stepped out into the street and walked past the old car. And as I heard the engine cutout in a large burst of power I looked behind me to see a large man climbing out of the car.

I didn't see much of anything else for seconds later I felt one foot give out underneath me that casted my rear painfully into the icy concrete that left a burning ache in my lower back. I sat blankly on the soaked street catching my breath for what felt like forever when two burning hands wrapped themselves around my forearms. I looked up instinctively to see the person and let my hood fall from my face as I sat up straighter. Never noticing the pain that scratched at my tailbone when I locked eyes with the man standing over me.

All I could do was stare into those eyes, seeing nothing but the brown that played inside the glowing irises. His face so close to mine, it was all I could see next to the dark skin that surrounded the enriched eyes. I could even taste his enticing breath on my own tongue along with his perfectly masculine scent that mixed wonderfully with the fresh rain that hung onto his black curls.

My mind was in a complete state of shock as his hot hands started to melt threw my thin sweater and into my skin which caught every nerve in my body on fire. A fierce prickle was shooting from the tips of my breasts all the way to my toes, I could even hear it vibrating silently inside my ears. I recognized the feeling quickly, except that was nothing compared to the bursting sensation that rang through my invigorated body right this moment.

"Embry, get her in here before she freezes!"

The sharp voice popped whatever bubble that surrounded us and let other noises come into existence as he was the one to break off first to look back towards Nadine who stood with the door open looking at the both of us. The movement I made to look back too brought the sharp pain to shoot back down to my tailbone and caused a shaky breath to escape my soaked lips.

"Shit." I struggled out impulsively as the vigorous feeling left to give the ache in my back full throttle to ride over my brain and body. I started to whimper as the pain was all I could think about now.

"I am so sorry. Are you okay? Here, let me help you up." I heard the man beside me speak in an incredibly husky voice that sounded too mature for a man of his age. But after listening to it ring through my ears I started to see how well his lovely voice tied into his masculine features, only making him more attractive.

I blushed at the thought and realized he was waiting for me to respond.

"Um... it's okay, I will survive, and... yes, please." I replied in a confident manner, my courage building up with each second that ticked by with me looking into his gorgeous face.

He grinned a full-faced smile that stretched over his shining white teeth and all the way to the bottom of his high cheekbones where his dimples appeared. The overwhelming feeling that ran through my body at the sight brought upon my own grin as the pain momentarily subsided.

"Do you want me to carry you?" He asked as he wrapped one large hand behind my back, near my pelvis where the pain was most tender, and his other was held out to me.

"No, that's okay. Walking will help." I said shyly as the thought of him cradling me in his arms sat in my mind. My mind was screaming _awkward_ at the thought, but the idea still put a smile on my lips as I tried hiding it by biting my lip. But he only grinned wider, if even possible, and grabbed a hold of my hand.

Excitement ran through me as I touched his hand and felt my fingers go slightly numb as they melted into his burning grasp. The unnatural heat his body was putting off never distracted me or made me grow cautious—if anything, it was incredibly soothing and only calmed me more as he lifted me up effortlessly onto my feet.

"You'd think after four years in Wyoming I would be used to walking on the ice. But apparently not." I said through clutched teeth with a fake laugh as my tailbone throbbed with pain from limping back into the store where Nadine awaited us.

"Oh dear, are you okay? That looked so painful. Let me go get some ice." She said hurriedly as she walked away to a back room.

"Mom, I don't think ice is the greatest idea." The man I still clung to called out to her shyly.

"Oh, your right. Maybe a..." She trailed off in panic as I heard running water coming from wherever she was. I could only imagine what it would be like growing up with a mother who panicked over the smallest of things.

I glanced over at the man standing next to me—who I now knew as Nadine's son—and saw that he still had an arm wrapped around my back and then I lifted my eyes to his face only to notice him gazing back at me. But I turned away abruptly, having no idea what to say or do next. I just watched Nadine appear from a small door with a wet rag in her hand. And from the looks of it, it must have been really hot because she kept bouncing it from one hand to the other and was pushing her son away from me within a matter of seconds.

"Here, sit down, dear. This should help." She told me as she kicked out a stool for me and continued to pull the back of my shirt up a bit when I carefully sat down.

_Yup, it's hot all right._ I thought with a wince when she placed the smoldering towel over my lower back and I clutched the edges of the stool so tightly that my knuckles had turned white. The heat sent a shiver through my body and made me twitch...

"Are you feeling better? Is that helping?" Nadine's son asked me. I opened my eyes, just now noticing I had them shut, and looked up at him, only to find him right in front of me with his eyes staring straight into mine again.

"Yeah, it's helping." I told him after looking away again to stare at the floor, letting my gaze fall upon his old, battered shoes. They were a faded black with mud caked all over the soles and the laces were mangled, not even tied. I then drove my casual look past his strong, dark calves to the equally battered tan shorts he wore. But looked away again after seeing a small pinch of the skin on his stomach showing from underneath the gray shirt that was bunched up from his muscled arms that were crossed over his chest.

_Oh my God._ If I wasn't blushing before, I was definitely now after sneaking another glance at his body, particularly his chest that bulged from the thin cotton of his shirt, seeing his collarbone sticking out from the torn collar and...

"I am Embry, by the way. And no need to look away. It's okay if you want to check me out." He said casually while looking around the room and adjusting his stance with a cocky smile on his face.

"I am Malana. And I wasn't checking you out." I told him, probably a little too defensively, giving away my lie, and looked behind me at his mother who quietly held the towel to my back and glared at her son. She must not approve of his joking around.

"Um, hum. Sure, you weren't." He mumbled quietly while looking at me with those incredibly dark eyes that were slowly turning my wittiness into complete mush.

"I wasn't. I was merely wondering what you are doing with no jacket on in this kind of weather." Was my lame comeback as my temper started flaring up a little bit when I waited for his next remark. But his mother was the one who spoke next...

"He's just got a very high body temperature and never gets cold anymore." She said calmly while giving him a strange look that made me think there was something more to her tone. "And Embry, quit teasing her and come hold this while I get a new one."

"Oh, no, that's okay. I can hold it." I said hurriedly as I was too late to reach behind me to grab the towel as Embry was all ready taking it from his mother's hands.

"No, it's bad strain for your back when you stretch back like that." She stated strictly, instantly shutting me up and ignoring the tiny chills that swam through my body at her son's blazing replacement.

"Yeah, because mother's knows best." Embry sarcastically laughed near my ear, making the hairs on my body stand up. I silently laughed with him as I turned my face to his and rubbed the back of my neck to get the chills to disappear.

I started blushing as I saw him looking down my back and realized that he now had the chance to check me out with the little skin I was showing.

_Wait, I must be going crazy. Why would he check me out? Why would anybody? I had nothing to offer him, I've only had two boyfriends and have no sexual experience, what so ever. I am sure he's a big player anyways who's only looking for a piece of ass. There is no way in hell that boy isn't a stud, that would just be plain wrong if he wasn't... _I sighed loudly after giving myself a headache and started listening to the pouring rain that slammed against the shop, trying to rid my mind of any inappropriate thoughts.

"What's eighteen stand for?" I turned around to face Embry who spoke, still concentrating on ignoring my previous thoughts and saw him looking up at me expectantly with a cocked eyebrow and a tiny smirk.

_Yep, definitely a player._

He must have seen my small tattoo that lay right above my back dimples that had a fancy number eighteen with tiny flames shooting out of both sides. I turned away from his playful face and looked at the inside of the store as I felt my cheeks flame with embarrassment at him seeing it. That tattoo was my most stupid tattoo I had ever gotten, but I didn't know what else to get so I went with that one anyways. And my previous thoughts were confirmed as he was just looking at my tattoo, not checking me out.

"Oh. It's just my race number." I said shyly while vaguely playing with my necklace.

"Hm. Race number, huh? What kind of racing?"

"Motocross. Dirt bike racing." I corrected myself, knowing that a lot of people didn't exactly know what motocross was, but most people did know what a dirt bike was. At least, I hoped.

"Really? That's awesome, I ride dirt bikes too."

_There is no way. _I was completely shocked. There really had to be no way. Maybe it was just a joke...

"That's cool, what kind of bike do you ride?" I decided to question him before getting too excited. Because, lets face it, guys that rode dirt bikes and had muscle cars were one of the biggest turn ons for me.

"Oh, it's just an old Honda 250. Nothing special, I've had it since I was fourteen. But I have been modifying the engine the past couple years." He rushed out shyly. I didn't know why he was so ashamed of that, I just hope he wouldn't ask me what kind I rode, knowing I would really kill his self-esteem if he found out how new mine was.

"Two-stroke, I take it. You don't look like you could fit on just a little 250 four-stroke because that's what I ride." I stated, hoping to skip the year of my bike all together and go straight to just the size.

"Yeah, that's actually why I've modified it. The poor bike just can't take my weight or my mad speed." He said with a small shake of his head, pretending to sympathize for the bike.

Just as I was about to go on with how much he had modified it, his mother, Nadine, came out with a new rag in her hands.

"Okay, I finally found one. Here, Embry, take this..." She started to say before I interrupted her...

"You know, that's okay, I really should be going. My dog is at home and I need to get ready for tomorrow..." I rushed out while trying hide my pain when I stood up to leave.

"What's tomorrow?" Asked Embry with a sad tone that confused me.

"Oh, she's Ms. Rowley, the new art teacher down at the school." Nadine answered before me.

"The Tribal School? You must know Seth, Brady, and Collin then." He asked while looking at me expectantly.

"Oh, yeah. How could I miss them, they're freaking the biggest kids in school. And Brady is just the loud one." I said, only half-joking, while remembering the three boys. And as my memories shifted to Seth, I wondered if I should hint anything about Seth and Elizabeth. But I thought better of it. It was none of my business.

"Well, sorry about that. Just be thankful that you didn't have me, Jake, and Quil. We sure were the troublemakers of the school. Drove all the teachers nuts, especially that old Home Economics teacher." Embry told me with a huge smile at remembering his past. But suddenly his face turned horrified as his thoughts must have ran into some unpleasant times.

"Oh, Embry, what are you talking about? You guys were so good. Well, you were good kids until you all got together with that Sam Uley and started making nuisances' of yourselves."

"Mom, let's not get into that. It's not important anymore, that was years ago." Embry mumbled to his mother with his head hung down in shame.

_Wow, it must have been bad. _I thought to myself, as I looked away from Embry and watched Nadine walk away with the towels in her hands.

Seeing him without a smile or a smirk on his face brought a strange ache to my heart. And as I looked back at him I noticed him gazing at his mother too, only his look contained a dreadful longingness that I could never understand. And when his mother rounded the corner and disappeared through the door, he still gazed after her with a unsettling frown set upon his lovely russet face, which suddenly made me very uneasy.

"Embry." I barely even whispered as I touched my small pale hand to his large bicep, looking at nothing but his eyes.

He looked at me then, and I saw the fogginess that clouded his eyes disappear when he searched my eyes with that same longing look in his eyes. Except this one was different; the despair was no longer there, but something else was. And I never had the chance to find what was so different as his mother came back.

"Well, I hope you are feeling better Malana. We should get going too." She said with impatience wrapping around her words as she stepped outside and into the ancient Chevelle, leaving Embry and me outside of the shop.

"It was nice meeting you Embry. I'll see you later." I said quickly and headed into the rain with the awkwardness of Nadine's recent anger hanging around us.

"Well, hey. Can I at least give you a ride home or something?" He asked swiftly as he came to walk backwards in front of me.

"No, I am just staying at the campground right up the road." I continued walking, watching as he magnificently walked backwards with such ease.

"Oh, come on. My mom won't bother you."

"Who said Nadine was bothering me? Because she isn't."

"Fine, then." He stopped suddenly, causing me to almost bump straight into his chest, but thankfully I had good reflexes and caught myself. Being so close to him though made me realize how tall he was, much taller than the other boys, at least six-foot-five. "Can I meet you tomorrow for lunch or something?"

_Did he just ask me out?_

"Are you asking me out?" I asked aloud with a smart ass attitude and placed my hands on my hips.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's just food and I know the best places in the _beautiful_ Olympic Peninsula." He emphasized on the word "beautiful" with a cheesy accent that would have come from a travel commercial.

"Sorry, I'll be busy. You know, with school and all." I shrugged it off casually and walked around him.

"I see how it is, playing hard to get." He stated from right behind me, which made me stop and turn around to him just as quickly as he had done to me.

"I am not. I just have better things to do then run around with a strange man that I barley even know." I said crossing my arms and watched him mimic my same move.

"Well, since Wednesday is an early release, how about you meet me at my friends house with your dirt bike and I'll take you too my super secret riding area."

_Oh, he's good._ I thought as he had me at the words "dirt bike." But since I am "playing hard to get," I pretended to think about it for a few moments before finally giving him my answer...

"Fine. Where exactly does this friend of yours live?"

"Right off of James Road. You won't be able to miss it, it's the red house." He said with so much excitement that there was no way I could deny him by not showing up.

"Well then. Just don't throw a fit when I smoke your ass." I said confidently as I turned around with a little more sway in my hips and continued on.

"Yeah, we'll see who gets the laugh dear Ms. Rowley. You just wait and see." He yelled after me when I was pretty far away. I looked back at him with a wave and flashed him a smile. I saw him standing there in the middle of the road watching me walk away and just kept onward.

Anxious for Wednesday, I started jogging home thinking of nothing but Embry and this new found feeling that slowly started boiling up inside of me, having no idea what it meant. But knowing that it certainly did mean something.

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Hope you all enjoyed that and please remember to review and check out my profile for Embry's outfit and dirt bike. Woo Hoo!

Chapter songs: _Everything's Magic_ by Angels and Airwaves and _I Will Possess Your Heart_ by Death Cab for Cutie

Happy Holidays and REVIEW!


	7. Don't Ask Me Why, I Don't Know

Hello everyone! I am back finally! After months and months of abuse to this story I have finally got my mojo back. So I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed and read my story. I always find it more and more encouraging to see a new review and all my hits. So thanks, again! It's always appreciated.

So other than that, I would like to let everyone know before you continue reading, that this story will become a M Rated fiction in the future due to lemons. I just want to warn those who won't be expecting it because you should. This chapter kind of starts to jump into the sensuality between werewolves and their imprints. I will be writing lemons for the story when the appropriate time comes and will fair warn everyone of it. But other than that, please enjoy the next chapter to Malana's adventure...

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_Chapter 6. Don't Ask Me Why, I Don't Know_

"People have to really suffer before they can risk doing what they love."

- Chuck Palahniuk

I don't where it came from, but ever since leaving the tribal school earlier this afternoon, fear had started to bubble up inside of me. I could feel a sweat break out across my hairline just thinking about it. It started to make me feel nauseous and the nauseous feeling never stopped. Not even when I saw the red house around the bend in the road just on James street—where Embry had instructed me to find him—did my stomach relax at all.

I knew it wasn't because of the guy I was meeting in just a matter of minutes. No, that wasn't it. It just was the nervousness of riding again. It had to be. I mean, I always felt this way before a race. Or, in this case, taking my dirt bike out for a little ride in a new town... with a new guy... a big guy, who probably knew these dark forests like the back of his hand...

"Jesus! What have I gotten myself into!" I crazily wondered out loud as I brought my bike to a halt right in front of the house that appeared to be vacant with the absence of vehicles and even sounds.

My thoughts started to race at lightning speed with all the possible situations that could have happened: he forgot; he didn't care; I didn't follow the right instructions; this is some kind of sick joke where someone or something pops out at any moment and scares the complete crap out of me! Maybe he's coming up behind me right this moment.

I looked behind me not a second later... nothing. I looked at the trees, the house, the road... nothing.

_God, could I be more paranoid?_ I thought to myself with a large sigh through my mouth, not paying attention to the unraveling knot in my stomach.

I had expected to come upon this house with him in an open garage, gear and dirt bike parts sprawled everywhere. Watch him turn his face at the sound of of my arrival and greet me with that breathtaking smile. But, of course, I get this this: nothing.

Letting out another defining sigh, I couldn't help but feel the sense of disappointment filling me up inside, bringing back my uneasy stomach. Trying to tell myself it was just because of the guy not being here. But I knew better, it was because of my family—my brother—where the motocross world was apart of our daily lives. The messy garages, gear everywhere, always finding a boy lurking around somewhere. That was my life, the happier parts at least, and the crushing reality of not finding it here just made my stomach start to boil in grief all over again.

Feeling the emotions caving in on me, I tried to calm down and try to regain the relief I just had a few moments ago, which was far much better than this crap I was carrying around. But there was nothing I could do...

Jumping rapidly, I felt my heart beat frantically with the loud crack of noise that just emerged. It took me a few moments of slow breathing to recognize the sound of an old two-stroke starting up and then the noise instantly disappearing with a bogging sound. After collecting myself, I hopped off my dirt bike and wheeled it over to the side of the red house where I rested it up against the aging panels. And with not a conscience thought in my mind, I easily walked to the back of the house where I assumed the noise carried from.

I stopped in mid step just before I walked completely away from the house and thought for a moment that I should just turn back and wait for him out front. Maybe I could just call his name from there and pretend I didn't see anything, or possibly flat out run and pretend I never even showed up. That wouldn't work though.

But anything would be better than just standing here like a stalker, watching him shuffle around the older dirt bike in ratty jeans sliced off at the knees and a those beat up shoes I recognize from the other day. And, extremely shirtless. Giving me way, _way_ too much dark skin and heavy, rolling muscles for my sharp vision. But the more I watched him the more I noticed not only his rippling body but how gracefully he moved with it. My breath catching in my lungs from more than just the lovely sight, but from the realization of how irrevocably beautiful he was with his movements. His steps gently hitting the oil spotted floor in perfect strides, swift fingers catching a tool or holding down the bike, the swing of his strong jaw moving with his neck and broad shoulders; graceful. Even his dark curls hung easily around the nape of his neck and the fine features of his face.

My body eased back against the rough surface of the house with little acknowledgment as I continued my journey of Embry. Casually watching every delicate movement of muscle and stretch of skin he made. The heat inside my body taking full reign of my mind as he squatted beside the motorcycle. Reveling an inch or so more of dark skin at the small of his back, making me wonder if he was wearing underwear.

"Jesus, I am a freak." I mumbled weakly as my thoughts turned to more darker areas and then dropped my gaze instantly while scrubbing my hands over my face, hoping to rid my mind of everything I just thought. But, no such luck, even with the images gone, my body kept growing unbearably flushed by the second.

"So... how you doing?"

I jerked frantically away from Embry's voice that appeared right in front of me and slammed my whole body into the house, making the panels shake and my head pound. I took a quick deep breath and clutched at my heart feeling as if it would pop out of my chest at any moment and breathed out a weak, "Fine."

And then locked eyes with Embry in a snap as his only response was a husky laugh that sounded from deep in his throat. Which naturally—or unnaturally—brought my heart rate skyrocketing again.

"Yes... well, I am glad you get so much amusement out of scaring the crap out of me." I replied, attempting my best glare possible. Which, of course, only brought upon another deep laugh and gleaming smile from him.

Looking away with a nonchalant shrug, I nodded at the garage which I found him in and asked with my arms crossed over my chest, "So, are we going to go riding or what?"

I glanced back at him when he didn't reply back immediately and noticed his smile was none existent as his lower lip was caught between his teeth. He looked at me from the ground he stared at and I knew what was coming. Not wanting to hear the excuse, I looked away again and tried not to let the disappoint wash through me.

"So, what's the verdict?" I said, nodding at the garage again, when he didn't say anything, part of me not wanting him to say anything.

As a few more seconds passed again though with no words from him, I got tired of talking and just returned the gaze I could feel he had on me. His eyes where on me so intently that if I could, I would look away. But, I didn't have the will power to do so. And, honestly, I really didn't want to hide my feelings. I wanted him to see the letdown that burned inside me.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been riding in a long time. I never thought it wouldn't run." He told me gently, his huskiness barely noticeable, while guilt laced those dark eyes.

"Whatever," I said, looking away again, lying again. It wasn't 'Whatever' though. It was more, a lot more, but I don't know why, it shouldn't. "It's fine." I continued, laying it on, just wanting to escape now.

It really should be fine though, I barely know him, I _don't _know him. It was just a dirt bike ride, big flipping deal. A lot worse has happened. I've had a lot more disappointments. But I should of saw this one coming. I know better. Or, at least, I thought I did. Since when did I get so screwed up with men?

"Malana. I really am sorry." He said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck then proceeded to stick both his hands in his front pockets. "You could still take me up on my previous offer. It's not to late for lunch." He continued in a more casual tone, giving me a tiny offer of a smile and wiggling his eyebrows, tempting me.

And seeing him trying to brighten the mood made me smile. Only a little though. I didn't want to have to deal with this though. I am sick of being stuck in a rut when it comes to depended on others. I just... couldn't.

"No, I can't." I told him hesitantly, dropping it right there and absentmindedly picking at my nails. "Oh. You know, I forgot that I have some work that I have to do anyways. So, how about I take a rain check and we do this another time." I said in a rush, my pathetic lies seeming to be my only ally today. But what do I care? I don't.

I turned on my heel abruptly and walked back to my bike. By the time I planted myself on the bike, just getting ready to start it, he started calling after me...

"Wait. Hey, Malana, wait." He said stopping right in front of me.

I started the engine with one kick, pulled in the clutch, and shifted down to the first gear. But he still didn't move by the time I slowly—threateningly—started to slip the clutch, forcing the bike to slightly jerk forward. He just smiled, and said, "You do play hard to get, don't ya?"

I huffed out a sigh of anger and revved the engine dangerously, the sound sending clashes of thunder into the echo of the forest.

"Okay, I am sorry. I can't help myself. I don't do well in stressful situations." He said with a smile he tried to hide, backing away slightly as I let the bike lurch at him again and then stop.

Sighing and looking away, into the lush forest, I felt myself break. It stole my breath just thinking about all the things I have done and have been through. How everything always seems to come to this. Disappointment. Even in the beginning, nothing is ever promising. Not high school. Not my father. Not any of my boyfriends or friends for that matter. Not even my freaking childhood was something I could smile back upon.

But it wasn't just that the beginning was bad—even when I didn't realize it. It was the fact that it always managed to end shitty too. Not even the great parts of certain events and people changed that or made the pain any less unbearable. It's just how it was. That's life I guess: one huge freaking disappointment. Including everyone within it too. I didn't even want to start thinking about how many people I have let down. I knew it would only make it worse.

So why bring any more burdens to myself, or others, when I could just walk away now and never see Embry again. Just stick with my job, my dog, and the rainy weather, and it'll be fine. Just fine.

Mustering up the courage with a silent intake of air, I faced Embry after what seemed like hours floating inside my head and looked him dead in the eye.

"I need to go." I said to shaky for my liking but probably being the most truthful thing I said all day. Because I knew if I stayed any longer, those dark, alluring eyes would be my breaking point. Even as I stared straight into his eyes, looking for a reaction, I could feel a pleading come into my own, silently begging him to let me go.

Something flickered across his face in an instant before stepping out of the way, never once breaking eye contact. I was the one who looked away, knowing what look pierced his eyes only for a split second: disappointment.

_Join the club._ I thought harshly before letting my clutch go completely and circled around him, back to the main road. Without even one more look or official goodbye. Leaving me aching for a fight from him, wanting him to reach out and fight for me. I couldn't deny that. But, unlike disappointments, it never happens. No one ever fights for good reasons, no one ever fights for someone else. Some things just aren't worth fighting for I guess.

-x-

In the state I was in now, I knew I couldn't just go home and settle down. I was to wound up with grief that had my adrenaline spiked and my anger making my head foggy. So, I ended up along James Road, which seemed to go on for miles with nothing but the crowding greenery. Eventually, I did manage to spot a small off-chute of dirt that was barely wide enough for my bike. It was just a little broken path that probably wasn't even a path of any sort. But I went for it any way. Dodging low tree branches, swerving for large rocks, riding closer to a certain side in trying to stay clear of ruts that appeared every now and then. It was somewhat satisfying, keeping my mind off of other things.

I don't know how long I went like that, escaping into another world where nothing but my natural senses existed, leaving the past and present behind. The quiet has always brought me ease. But not the kind of quiet that had no sounds. It was always the sound of my engine, purring like thunder; the wind wrestling with the trees; the blur of birds chirping and the harsh sound of my own breathing.

I became so outside myself that I didn't notice when the dirt path had vanished into just the space betweens giant trees, even as I was only watching the ground in front of me. My handle bars unknowingly swinging different ways here and there when I was placed in a tight gap of tree trunks. The sound of my bike becoming more and more quiet as it gently started to roam in a lower gear, trying to keep clear of obstacles. And it only took me a second of time to snap back to reality and see a fawn not even a foot in front of me.

On instinct, I swerved. Catching my front tire in the side of a tree that only bucked me from the machine and sent me head to head with another large tree. Lying somewhere on the ground, I watched so many blinding stars behind my eyelids that almost made everything white, but I could still see the edges of black, making my head swim in even more pain. Groaning breathlessly, I reached a weakened hand up to my head where the blinding pain was worse, pounding my skull so harshly that someone could've been banging my head into the trunk if I hadn't done it myself already. Whimpering, I tried to open my eyes. Only to see blurry snapshots of green, brown, and white. The ringing in my ears tuning down enough to hear my bikes engine still humming somewhere on the forest floor. But it was still to faint to make out exactly where or how close it was.

I opened my eyes one last time to see my scenery changed into lots of soft gray and three spots of black. I tried to blink my sight clearer, wanting nothing more than to seep into the comfort that surrounded me, knowing it came from the figure in my vision that I could tell was getting closer and closer, becoming more clearer. I wondered if it was the sky I was seeing, maybe a rain storm settling in, that would explain the sense of ease. I wanted to reach out and grasp the comfort in my hand and hold it forever, but as I grew more weak, all my body and brain could function with was lying there, as is. No rational thoughts of finding help or getting up. I just needed some shut eye, some peace.

And I did just that, slipping into complete blackness, never aware of my wolf standing right beside me. Protecting me, as it always has.

-x-

_There was a beeping somewhere and I am going to go fucking _insane_ if it doesn't stop soon_...

Not more than a second later did it stop, only to be followed by a couple loud snaps and some clinks and then more quiet beeps before a soothing hum finally came to my ringing ears. Only to hear the same beeping again.

Groaning, I tried to cover my ears since screaming profanities weren't an option with how lax my mouth was. But even my arms seemed to be useless, feeling like Jello and being sore as hell. Trying to grasp some piece of mind, I latched my fingers onto whatever lay underneath them, discovering a strangely ruff material. Rubbing it more, trying to make sense of it, everything finally came back...

I shot up so fast I didn't even have time to react to my surroundings as my headache controlled everything inside and outside of me. I tried ignoring the blinding lights in my sight, but that didn't happen. Even as I was aware of the shooting pain in my right wrist that cradled my head and the heat that suddenly enveloped my back and upper arm.

"Not so fast, Forest." Came a husky voice right next to my ear, easing me back down onto the softness where I was laying. "That was quite a nasty fall you took back there. I was afraid I would never get to see that bright, shining face of yours ever again."

Embry, who else would joke about something like this? With that stupid tone of his, I knew he was smiling even if I wasn't looking, I just knew. But instead of throwing a crude comment at him, I just groaned and tried to turn away from him, feeling like complete shit. I ended up nuzzling into that weird material again, realizing it was a couch, smelling of must and feeling like carpet. But it was still incredibly comfortable.

"Fine. I see how it is. I'll just pretend that was a thank you." He said in a false angry tone. "You know, that's the second time I have saved your butt, in what? A week? Now you owe me, big time. Looks like you'll be having to go out with me after all."

Rolling over to face him again, my anger stirring inside of me a little, I opened my eyes somewhat easily and blinked a few times to get Embry's face clear.

"What_ever_." I said roughly in my valley girl slang. "Saving me before I fall would be one thing but if I recall right, you didn't do that either times. You were just simply there to pick up the pieces." I cleared my throat, "So, technically, you didn't save me." I ended and with a quick pull of his eyebrows his face turned sad, for only a second, but the look still confused me. But his happy-go-lucky look returned again and then I finally shut my eyes again, staying on my back.

"Nah-uh. I still saved you." He replied in a sing-song voice, joy oozing out of him. I am pretty sure a brilliant smile was about to crack his face in half. _Good_, I thought,_ cocky little shit_.

"Nah-uh," I said mockingly with one eye opened a little, "You did not."

"Did to." He said, looking right back at me, dark eyes lit with amusement.

"Nope."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"So you agree?"

"Huh? I said..."

"Nah-uh." He said, waving a long finger in front of my face. "See? I knew you'd understand." He smiled at me in a way that left me speechless. Only paying attention to those big lips stretched over his bright teeth, that made two little dimples appear just under sculpted cheekbones. Giving him the glow of a child on Christmas morning. I felt faint all of a sudden but at least the headache has increasingly eased.

With a little wink, he backed away from where I laid on the couch and swayed into another part of the house. House?

"Where am I?" I asked immediately.

"You're at my place. It's not to far from where your staying actually. But it's far from where I found you." He sounded like he was smiling again.

I looked to my right, trying to get a sense of the day, but couldn't muster much strength to look any farther than the wall right in front of me, which contained only a small television set on top of a VCR player and stacks of ancient movies.

"What time is it? It looks late out." I asked, thinking it must either be late in the day. Or early in the morning. I don't know.

"It's about... uhhh. Nine o'clock." He told me, coming back around to the couch again, bringing two steaming green mugs with him.

"What? Like, nine in the morning?" I said in a astonished panic, and quickly doing the math. That means I would have been gone for almost twenty flipping hours!

"No, you silly goose. It's only nine at night." He said like it's all a big joke. Maybe everything was a joke to him. Lucky him.

"Yeah. _Only_." I said sarcastically. I still have been gone for about seven hours.

"Chill big time and scooch your pooch." He told me while motioning me to get up with his occupied hands.

With a roll of my eyes, I obliged and indeed _scooched_ over to one side of the furniture, leaving him plenty of room to sit down. But that freakishly large body of his covered what space I gave him and then some, heating me to my core. And dwarfing the couch underneath him and looking as if he were seated in a child's chair. The sight was kind of unreal.

"Okay, now. Tea time. So, drink up." He said, looking at me and handing out a mug to me that was filled with a caramel colored liquid.

Naturally, I fought it...

"Tea?" I questioned. "I ain't really a tea drinker. Tried it once for a sore throat and found it repulsive. So, no thanks. I am good." I said. He just looked at me like I was bullshitting. Which, I wasn't. It's the truth.

"What?" I asked innocently with a jump of my shoulders.

"Try it." Was all he said, keeping the same look on his dark face and stretching the cup farther out to me. It was almost hitting my arm.

When I didn't reply and looked back at him with doubt, he changed his approach. Slapping a teasing smile on his face and wiggling the cup in front of my face, he cooed, "Come on, Malana. You can do it."

Exasperated, I fought an eye roll and grabbed the green mug carefully from his hand, trying not to touch him. I said, "Fine. Whatever." And took a big gulp from it, keeping eye contact with him the whole time. When it finally rested in my mouth, all I could taste was fire. I fought the urge to spit it back up from the burning but instead swallowed it loudly and scrunched my eyes closed, trying to drag cool air into my mouth.

"That bad, huh?" Embry asked, sounding amused. What else is new?

I opened my eyes and glared at him while fanning my tongue with my hand. My mouth felt like it was blistering and I was trying to will my tears back in my head. "It's freaking hot." I tried to say but sounded more like a bunch of gibberish.

Of course, he laughed. Then shook his head, putting his black curls in a wave, and said, "Sorry 'bout that. You know, with my high temperature and all..." He looked uncomfortable now, his smiling losing its humor. "Yeah, I forgot about that." He smiled at me.

"Don't worry. I'll live." I told him easily as I continued to wave my tongue. I stopped waving my hand in the air when I saw his expression change suddenly and a evil gleam glanced towards my hand that still hung loose in the air, unmoving.

"You know, I could always kiss it, make it feel better." He said while leaning towards me and gripping the back of the couch with one long arm. His left hand winding around my own that absently floated in the space between our bodies. Heat so intense caught onto every single part of me—like wood to an open flame—bringing my whole body to attention. Awakening every last tip of my body with awareness of Embry.

On instinct I wanted to lean forward but somewhere panic itched inside me and I ended up crouched away from his approach, rushing out an, "Really, I'm fine."

"You really know how to kill a guys mojo. Don't ya, Forest?" He said smiling, knowing I didn't really offend him.

He kept my hand within his and rubbed the sensitive skin of my wrist with his thumb, brushing right above my scripted tattoo. My fingertips started to tingle with life and so did other, more private, parts of my body.

I was ashamed with the sensation. But I couldn't help it. It just was.

"Why are you calling me that?" I asked dazed, wanting to change the subject, wanting to really know too. Also hoping to distract him from the movement of covering my breasts with my free arm and clenching my legs together to the point of shaking with effort.

"I don't know. It suits you." He answered me while looking into my eyes lazily. I could see he was getting lost in La-La Land with the same sensations I fell. The thought of what he could be daydreaming about made me shiver. I tried to snap back some more...

"How does it suit me?" I whispered, not knowing if I wanted to snap him out of it or not.

He just shrugged and then locked eyes with me completely, no hint of a haze between us. He said gently, "Because of finding you in the forest, seeing you surrounded by it. It's quite a sight."

"It hard not to be surrounded by the forest here." I interrupted blankly, not knowing what else to say, or what I should even make of his words.

"True." He replied with a shrug. "But, mainly, because of your eyes." He continued, more seriously. "Green like the trees with specks of dirt. The sun resting right in the center."

My heart stopped, or at least beated so fast it became one whole rhythm. Michael, my first love, once said that about my eyes: "It's like looking at the sun for too long." When I asked him what he meant, he explained to me how when you look at the sun too long, the sun turns black with only a yellow surrounding and an illusion of green. Like my eyes. He always said he loved to look into my eyes.

"It's just that... nature, it suits you well." He told me while lightly dragging a long finger down from my eye brow piercing to the tip of my hair where he gently pulled once at the split ends before resting on the back of the couch again.

I thought of all the years with hair dye, the piercings, tattoos. "I am anything but natural." I told him with a small laugh. I looked pointedly at him, thinking of all his nature: untamed hair, dark skin, heavy muscles. All of him completely untouched—unaffected by the world. Even his rugged attire seemed as natural as his own skin.

He laughed the same way I had: quietly; gently; unbelieving. "That's my point. Even with your piercings and tattoos, you are completely confident in your own skin. In everything you do, it's seems second nature to you."

"I am not confident." I interrupted him, shaking my head. I was insecure, just like everyone else. Far from confident, especially with myself.

"Yes, you are." He told me—determined—shaking my left hand that he still held. "You may not realize it yet but you have this incredible strength about you. I saw it in you the first time I saw you at the beach..."

"What does strength and confidence have to do with being natural?" I asked him hopelessly, watching his giant hand sweep across the wrist that is embedded with ink.

I heard him sigh deeply and I looked up at him again, his brown eyes bright. "I don't know, Malana." He said gently with a small smile, "You're different and beautiful and you are a fighter, a leader. I see that and I am sure a lot of people do to. That's what makes you a great part of nature, a giant forest!" He laughed with new revelation and his gleaming smile, "It's just how I feel."

He leaned forward again and I knew he wasn't going to back down. Neither was I. Keeping a hold of my left wrist, he placed his right hand into the hair at my temple and pushed it into the place behind my ear. I closed my eyes, not moving an inch until he placed the hand on the side of my neck. When his face came closer I decided to leave my eyes open, something I have never done during a kiss. Wither it be a quick peck or a prolonged make out session, my eyes were always closed. I wanted to see Embry close to me, as close as a person has ever been to me. It's just how I feel.

But instead of placing his lips to my own, his face graced the side of my cheek, then ear. He softly kissed the skin between my ear and cheekbone. Then with a deep breath and exhale through his nose, our debate ended finally and he backed away. His hand still covering mine was the only contact that was left in place.

My body screamed from withdraw of his body, but my mind was at rest. And I was thankful. I wasn't ready to commit to myself, nonetheless a relationship. But I knew one day I would be ready.

Maybe. It was only a matter of time right?

But who knows? I sure don't.

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Well I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter and that it was well worth the wait I made you indure.

Please review and until next time...

Chapter songs: _Slide_ by Rosi Golan and _Unwell_ by Matchbox Twenty

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